Why Regular HVAC Filter Changes Are Crucial

Air Filter services in O'Fallon, MO

Of all the maintenance tasks that you perform in your O’Fallon, MO home, routine air filter changes rank among the most important. HVAC air filters play a significant role in protecting your indoor air quality (IAQ). They also determine the overall efficiency and performance of your HVAC system. Discover why regularly changing your air filter is vital and how often you need to do it.

The True Purpose of HVAC Air Filters

Standard HVAC air filters provide an impressive but limited range of IAQ benefits. These components sieve our larger airborne particulates and limit the amount of dust, dander, and pollen in the indoor air. In busy, high-traffic environments, air filters also pick up tiny textile and carpet fibers, pet fur, hair, and other debris. However, the primary purpose of standard HVAC air filters is to protect your heating and cooling equipment, not you.

HVAC equipment manufacturers install these components to keep the sensitive, interior components of their heat pumps, air conditioners, and furnaces clean. With fewer particulates floating throughout your home, there’s far less debris to find its way into your air handler and settle on your evaporator coil or other elements. All the air that cycles through your HVAC system passes through your filter first. Keeping a clean filter in is the best way to prevent maintenance-related problems like short cycling, overheating, icing, and sudden shutdowns.

How Dirty Air Filters Affect HVAC Performance

All HVAC air filters have limited filtration capabilities. When completely covered in collected debris, these components inhibit airflow. They can also release clumps of collected matter that move through HVAC systems, adhere to interior components, or settle at the backs of air vents and grilles.

In air conditioners and heat pumps, buildup of debris affects heat transfer. During the cooling process, icy refrigerant within your AC or heat pump’s evaporator coil extracts the heat from warm indoor air as it blows over. With a thick coating of dust or other materials, evaporator coils can’t transfer heat efficiently. Frosty refrigerant never warms up, and cooling systems can ice over.

Diminished airflow throughout HVAC systems due to dirty air filters causes constant stress. Blower motors and fans must work harder to draw air through thick mats of filter debris. This leads to increased energy use even as indoor comfort declines.

How a Dirty Air Filter Impacts Your IAQ

Regularly changing your air filter is the best and easiest way to protect your indoor air quality and avoid unpleasant IAQ symptoms. Neglecting your air filter won’t just lead to more allergens and contaminants floating in the air and covering system components. It can also result in a dramatic rise in indoor humidity.

If the air inside your home feels oppressive, damp, and heavy, a dirty air filter is the most likely cause. When paired with poor airflow, increased allergens and contaminants, and declining performance, rising humidity can lead to thick buildups of biofilm and algae in AC condensate drains and drain lines. Worse still, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), when relative humidity rises above 60% indoors, many homes will struggle with pervasive mold as well.

Keeping your air filter clean can prevent household members from developing symptoms like:

  • Itchy, watery, and irritated eyes
  • Nasal and sinus irritation
  • Skin irritation
  • Wheezing, sneezing, and coughing

Maintaining clean air filters is especially important if anyone in your home suffers from a chronic respiratory issue such as COPD, allergies, or asthma. Dirty air filters and the conditions they create can worsen or trigger these ailments.

Replacing Your Filter Cuts Your Heating and Cooling Costs

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), regular filter changes can actually pay for themselves over time. Some homeowners can shave as much as 15% off their annual heating and cooling costs simply by staying on top of air filter changes.

Skipping Air Filter Replacements Could Void Your Manufacturer Warranties

There’s another good reason to make regular air filter changes a top priority: They’re essential for maintaining the protections of your HVAC manufacturers’ warranties. All new heat pumps, furnaces, and air conditioners come with limited parts warranties and extended warranties on major components like compressors and heat exchangers.

These warranties pay for repairs and product replacements when problems arise due to faulty manufacturing. By complying with the terms of these mutually binding agreements, you can avoid paying out of pocket for repairs involving defective parts or faulty assembly. Most HVAC manufacturers require homeowners to schedule annual HVAC maintenance. However, given just how important the protection of air filters is, manufacturers’ warranties additionally require regular filter changes. Neglecting your air filter can cause all relevant warranties to be voided outright. If it doesn’t, it may result in future claim denials or frustrating processing delays.

Dirty Air Filters Shorten HVAC System Lifespans

Furnaces, heat pumps, and air conditioners that receive regular filter changes tend to last longer than those that do not. They operate under less stress, use less energy, and take less time to get their jobs done. This translates into less wear sustained overall.

Missing Filter Changes Can Create Major Messes

As collected debris detaches from air filters and HVAC performance declines, you might find that your household chores increase. When IAQ goes down, more dust tends to settle on counters, floors, and other indoor surfaces. As indoor humidity rises, these buildups can result in sticky, tacky coatings that require greater-than-normal “elbow grease” to get things tidy.

If you often overlook filter replacements, take a peek behind your HVAC air vent covers. You’ll find the same lint accumulations that coat your air filter on or just behind these components. Keeping a dirty filter in place for too long can also lead to dirty ducting and a more frequent need for professional air duct cleaning.

When Is the Best Time to Change an HVAC Air Filter?

Due to their limited filtration capabilities, standard HVAC air filters should be inspected monthly and changed every 30 to 90 days. If you’ve upgraded to an air filter with a higher maximum efficiency reporting value (MERV) rating, its greater surface area, folded or pleated design, and tighter mesh will allow it to collect more particulate matter and remain functional for longer. Some upgraded filters can last as long as six to nine months.

One easy way to determine whether your air filter needs replacing is by holding it up to the light. When light can still pass through the debris that coats an air filter, air can move through as well.

If you need help determining the ideal schedule for air filter replacement in your O’Fallon home, our team at Hoff Heating & AC is here to provide it. We can assess your filter type, IAQ, and various household and environmental factors to devise a needs-specific filter maintenance plan.

We offer expert air conditioning, heating, and indoor air quality services in O’Fallon and the surrounding cities. For those in need of additional IAQ support, we also offer multiple options in whole-house air filtration and germicidal lights.

To schedule an appointment for HVAC maintenance or get help with your next filter change, contact Hoff Heating & AC now!