What Happens When Your Air Filter is Too Dirty?

A dirty air filter can cause a range of problems, from reduced cold air flow to black smoke and flames coming out of the exhaust pipe. When air filters become clogged and dirty, they allow dust and debris to pass through the ventilation system into your home, creating more dust and leaving a film on all surfaces. This can also cause the system to re-circulate the same dust and grime over and over again. Another consequence of a dirty air filter is black smoke or flames coming out of the exhaust pipe.

This is because a lack of clean air can cause gas not to burn completely during the combustion process. Unburned fuel leaves the vehicle through the exhaust pipe in the form of black smoke and soot or flames at the end of the exhaust pipe. A decrease in gasoline consumption is usually a sign that something is wrong. Air filter contributes to fuel efficiency, but a dirty filter can reduce oxygen flow.

A vehicle must compensate for this by burning more fuel to compensate. As a result of the build-up, a dirty filter will also cause poor cold air flow in the air conditioning system. That cold air will be trapped inside the air conditioner, causing ice to form on your coils. Once that happens, the air conditioner will freeze and stop working. However, before your system completely freezes, there will be some telltale signs that you should be aware of.

Uneven cooling throughout your home is one of them. If you notice that some rooms are more difficult to cool than others, while others feel cold constantly, you'll want to check your air conditioning filter first. A clear sign that the air conditioning filter needs to be replaced is when the back of the unit is too hot. If the filter is very dirty, you may feel warm air coming out the back of the unit. A clogged filter forces the air conditioner to work harder to keep the house cool.

This will lead to more frequent air conditioning repairs and ultimately shorten the life of the unit. Reduce the load by simply changing the AC filter regularly. Fans push air through the filter. If it becomes too clogged with dust, dander and debris, then the blower has to work harder to pass air through a clogged filter. With reduced airflow, you may experience hot and cold spots in your home, and it can be difficult to reach desired indoor temperature levels. One of the purposes of an air filter is to filter out all microscopic particles such as dust, pollen, pet dander, bacteria, plant spores and mold and even smoke.

Something as simple as an air filter can cause everything from harmful emissions, fuel waste, damaged spark plugs and engine buildup. So why not protect and preserve expensive systems that heat and cool your home, and keep your family comfortable during unbearably hot summers and blistering cold winters? Changing your home's air filter is one of the simplest and most effective ways to do it. However, if the problem is not the air filter, an experienced HVAC service technician should investigate it and perform necessary maintenance. Replacing a dirty engine air filter with a new one can improve engine acceleration. Replacing it before it becomes clogged ensures you don't have to change spark plugs. As warm or cold air flows into rooms, fan in unit draws existing air from rooms through separate set of “return ducts” and directs it to heat exchange (where it is heated or cooled again). Just like replacing car's engine oil and air filter every 3,000 miles, clean HVAC air filter protects furnace system from damage and ultimately failure completely. From sizes to types, qualities and more - here's everything you might need to know about air filters.

Changing them in heating and cooling system is one of simplest and most important maintenance tasks. If it becomes too clogged with dust, dander and debris, then blower has to work harder to pass air through blocked filter. HVAC air filters work in collaboration with home's heating and cooling system to run smoothly and efficiently. A new one is white or off-white while a dirty one will look darker with visible dirt and debris. According to Diamond Certified Organization, clogged oven air filter is main cause of equipment failure. Just like replacing car's engine oil and air filter every 3,000 miles - clean HVAC air filter protects furnace system from damage and ultimately failure completely. So why not protect expensive systems that heat and cool your home? Changing home's air filter is one of simplest and most effective ways to do it.

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