Furnaces are used in cold areas to warm up buildings and homes by pumping hot air through ducts that distribute heat. They are effective as they provide you with more heat without putting your safety at risk.
Periodic maintenance of your furnace is vital to ensure it works well even when the air filter is missing. But is it a good idea to run a furnace without a filter?
The answer is complicated.
First, let’s examine why you might need a new filter stat.
Signs That You Need A New Filter Immediately
If you notice any of the following signs, it means that your filter is worn out, and you cannot run your furnace without a filter
You Feel An Allergy or Flu Coming on
Unclean furnace filters have been linked to poor health. Allergies, sinus problems, and other health problems may flare up when the seasons change. However, contaminated indoor air is to blame if you’ve recently been unwell and physically unstable after turning on your furnace. If you don’t change your filters, your health could be affected, and the consequences could be far worse than you imagined.
You See Dust Everywhere
If routine cleaning can’t remove the dust particles from your home, it’s because they are entering your home through the HVAC filters. The chances are that the ductwork is riddled with grime, dust, and dirt. So you not only need to replace filters but also get professional maintenance for the furnace.
It is important to work with a local furnace service to clean the air inside your home.
You Smell Something Burning
An overheated blower motor or choked-up filters cause a burning smell in the furnace because they can’t maintain appropriate circulation through the system to keep your furnace from overheating. Only when the filters become clogged with dirt and debris does airflow become impeded. As a result, if your furnace emits a burning odor, go back to your filters and replace them as quickly as possible.
You See An Increase In Energy Bills
Filters that are unclean and blocked could be the source of high utility expenses.
Bills that increase without any warning are almost always indicating that your filters need to be replaced right away. It may be challenging to keep track of your energy usage, especially with changing temperatures, but your invoices will tell you everything you need to know. Investing in a new air filter might save you up to 15% on your energy bills.
What Happens If You Don’t Change Your Furnace Filter?
Technically, you can run a furnace without a filter for a night. Do it any longer, and you might have to face the following consequences:
Contaminated Ducts
Air contaminants will settle in the ducts, which encourages mold growth since there is moisture present. This results in a decrease in air quality and more severe health concerns, especially for people with mold allergies.
System Failure
The primary purpose of a furnace filter is to protect the furnace itself. The inside of your furnace can become covered in filth if you don’t have a filter in place to provide that protection. In addition, due to the increased tension, the evaporator coils or the blower motor may fail.
When the furnace turns on and off repeatedly due to overheating, this is known as short cycling. Continuous switching it on and off can quickly wear it down, lower its life expectancy, reduce its efficiency, and potentially blow the engine or compressor.
Fire Hazard
It can also pose a firetrap, in addition to potentially destroying valuable components. For example, if the heat sensor switch in your furnace is missing or broken, and the temperature rises due to dust on electrical wires or the motor, it could cause a house fire.
Decrease In Air Flow
If there isn’t much airflow when you put your hand against an air vent, the most likely cause is that the furnace, including the air ducts and vent covers, is caked in dust. In addition, running your furnace without a filter can restrict airflow dramatically over time.
Costs Of Furnace Filter Replacement
New filters can cost $10 to $30, depending on the brand. In addition, the entire HVAC unit has to be cleaned during annual inspections to keep it in perfect working condition. If you ignore this upkeep and filter replacement and your furnace breaks down, expect to pay over $300 for repairs, depending on the nature of the problem.
Get Started – Ready To Change Your Filter?
These days you can buy filters that can be washed and reused, or you can replace them with new ones as directed by your manufacturer’s owner’s manual. Consider your home’s atmosphere, your family’s allergies, pets, and candle use, among other factors, to develop a guideline for when to get new filters.
Check your filter once a month to see whether it needs to be replaced. If your filter needs to be replaced, you’ll notice that it’s off-white and that it’s filled with visible dust and particles. A delay of an hour or two is permissible, but going on with a dirty air filter for a long time can pose serious threats to you and your family.
