Ready to learn new ways to improve your air conditioner operation? Contact BVS Home Experts for answers! As you relax on the couch after a long day, you may suddenly realize you have yet to change your air filter in months. Panic sets in as you realize all the home improvement retailers will close soon. When you check the filter, you notice a thick film of dust and grime. This can’t be good for your HVAC system, right? Can you run an air conditioner without a filter? As your trusted AC company in Katy, TX, BVS Home Experts has the answer. Learn how running the AC without a filter affects your system and home below.
Why Are Air Filters Important?
Filters prevent small particles from continuously circulating throughout your system. Although you might dust and clean your home regularly, these pollutants still infiltrate each room via various means:- Your shoes and clothes after going outdoors
- Candles, incense, cigarettes, and other items you burn
- Pet fur and dander
- Cleaning products
- Pollen traveling through open doors and windows
Can You Run an Air Conditioner Without a Filter?
While your air conditioner can operate without an air filter, it should definitely not. Filterless air conditioning systems don’t exist. Therefore, you should ideally keep a supply of fresh filters on hand. Alternatively, add filter changes to your professional maintenance package. What happens when you use your system without a filter? The consequences negatively affect your home, health, and system.What Happens When Your System Operates Without a Filter?
Unfiltered operations result in significant damage and expensive repairs, as you’ll discover below.Dirty Ductwork
Unfiltered operations will likely affect your ductwork first. As the intake vent pulls air inside, the particles that come with it can freely enter the duct network. They will disperse throughout the network, coating the sides of the ducts. Mold spores may settle in these out-of-reach places. Debris can collect in corners and angles, speeding up corrosion. These particles may eventually travel to other areas in your home.Damaged Components
Next, the particles will enter the system’s internal components, such as the motor and compressor. Like other mechanical parts, these pieces should stay free from debris to function correctly. Once tiny particles enter their workings, they malfunction. Their lifespan shortens significantly, forcing you to purchase expensive repair and replacement services.System Blockages
Other particles may enter integral HVAC plumbing networks, like the Freon tube and drain pipe. The Freon tube allows the refrigerant to move throughout the system. The drain pipe releases condensation forming within the system. When the drain pipe develops clogs, it diverts water into the Freon tube and prevents the refrigerant from moving throughout the system. Without free-flowing refrigerant, your air conditioner cannot condition the air properly. Refrigerant removes heat from the circulating.HVAC System Issues
Running your air conditioner without a filter creates problems throughout the entire system. You’ll end up paying for extensive repair services as a result. However, this consequence isn’t the worst of them. The damage might be so extensive that you have to replace the entire system prematurely, ductwork and all. This service can cost thousands of dollars. Essentially, using your air conditioner or furnace without a filter rapidly ages the entire system. The damage that usually takes over a decade to incur develops within a couple of days.Problems for Household Occupants
If the expensive issues outlined above don’t thwart unfiltered HVAC operations, perhaps the following repercussions will. Allowing your system to run without a filter also poses significant concerns to your health, budget, and hygiene.Awful Air Quality
Your indoor air quality can make or break your family’s health. Air filters ensure you breathe clean air throughout your time at home. Removing the filter allows those nasty particles to endlessly infiltrate each room. You might experience symptoms including the following:- Coughing, wheezing, sneezing
- Respiratory discomfort and illness
- Sinus irritation and inflammation
- Difficulty sleeping
- Headaches
Energy Bill Spikes
Since unfiltered air affects the system’s components, it also causes each subsequent energy bill to increase. When HVAC parts fail or struggle to function, they require more energy to perform the tasks. You might notice significant utility bill increases once your system begins malfunctioning bit by bit.Extra Dusty Surfaces
Like most homeowners, you aim to maintain a clean, presentable home. After all, cleanliness makes each room more inviting. Would you like to increase your indoor workload to achieve the same results? Of course not! But running your air conditioner without a filter distributes more dust and debris throughout your home. You’ll likely notice an increasingly thick film of dirt settling on various surfaces. Your cleaning rituals will require more time, energy, and cleaning products to combat the excessive dust in your home.What to Do If You Need an Air Filter
You’re probably thinking twice about removing the dirty air filter. What solution can you implement instead?- Leave the dirty air filter in place until you can install a new one. Never run an HVAC system without a filter. You can either turn the system off or run it sparingly until you replace the filter.
- Purchase multiple air filters to keep on hand. Your supply will prevent these conundrums in the future.
- Contact your preferred HVAC service to schedule filter replacements.
