You may not know it, but your furnace relies heavily on the air filter that sits in the air return duct. It is this filter that protects the system from dust and other debris that could otherwise infiltrate and damage the system. The problem is that, since most homeowners don\u2019t even know that these filters exist, many of them don\u2019t get them changed or cleaned as often as they should. That leads to some serious issues for the furnace, which could result in the death of the whole system. Read on to find out what happens when your furnace air filter doesn\u2019t receive the service it needs.<\/p>\n
The air filter in your furnace is little more than a fiber mesh, closely woven enough to capture debris but loose enough to allow air to flow through it. The filter doesn\u2019t have any way to get rid of the debris that it collects, which means that if it isn\u2019t cleaned or replaced every few months it will become too clogged for air to flow through it. That\u2019s when problems start to occur for the furnace.<\/p>\n
A clogged air filter causes heat to become trapped in the furnace while it is running. As the furnace temperature rises to dangerous levels, a part called the \u201climit switch\u201d activates and shuts down the system to protect it. This doesn\u2019t solve the root cause of the overheating, though. As the furnace keeps turning on, overheating, shutting off, and turning on again, the stress will eventually cause the entire system to break down. This is why keeping the air filter clean is so important.<\/p>\n