It is essential to care for the HVAC system in your home since it plays a vital role in keeping your house cool during the hot summer months. Running an HVAC system without a filter, even for a short time, is not a good idea.
A typical scenario for such an occurrence is that someone’s HVAC unit stops working in the middle of the night due to a dirty air filter. They take the filter out to replace it and find that they do not have a replacement for it. All the shops are closed until the morning, and it is way too warm to not run the air conditioning. They decide to run their HVAC system without a filter until they can get an air filter replacement in the morning.
While not using a filter overnight may not lead to any major problems, running the HVAC unit for longer without a filter is not a good idea. Here we explore what can happen if you go for a period of time without an air filter in your HVAC system.
What Does an Air Filter Do?
Your air filter acts as your guardian against what you are breathing in at home. When warm air moves through the filter, pollen, dust, mildew, and other contaminants get trapped. This way, only clean air is allowed, and your HVAC system then cools and blows this cleaned air into your house. Without an air filter, you are making yourself and your loved ones susceptible to everything that it protects you from, as well as potentially causing equipment damage.
In short, the filter purifies the air in your home while keeping your AC unit dirt- and dust-free.
What Happens When You Run an HVAC Without a Filter?
If you opt to run your HVAC unit without a filter, debris and dirt will quickly get sucked into your system and blown back into your home, compromising the quality of the air that you breathe and possibly damaging the system. This could potentially lead to costly repairs or even necessitate replacing the entire system. The longer you run your HVAC unit without a filter, the more likely it is that this will occur. If it can at all be avoided, it is best to never run your HVAC system without an air filter.
In greater detail, here are some problems you could encounter from running your HVAC equipment without a filter:
- Decreased air quality
- Frozen coils
- Higher energy costs
- Compressor damage
With no air filter preventing pollutants from circulating throughout your home, the quality of air in your residence will quickly decrease. This could mean breathing in pet dander, debris, pollen, and dust, which could cause or exacerbate health issues. Some of these health problems could include respiratory issues as well as nose, throat, or eye irritation. This can also lead to severe reactions for those who suffer from allergies or asthma. If you have mold residing in your system, there is also the potential for mold spores to be released into your home, which could cause even more severe health concerns.
Dirt and dust settling inside of your AC system can cause the evaporator coils to become coated with pollutants. This leads to airflow being restricted over the coils, warmth not being absorbed, and the coils eventually freezing over. This can result in everything from higher energy costs to expensive repairs. If the coils are allowed to stay frozen for too long, your HVAC’s compressor could be badly damaged, necessitating a replacement for your entire system.
How Long Can I Run My HVAC Without a Filter?
We cannot stress enough that it is not advisable to run your HVAC system without an air filter for any length of time. That being said, should you end up in a situation where you simply must run your unit without a filter for a short period, keep that amount of time as minimal as possible. Problems can occur as soon as a few minutes after running an HVAC system without an air filter.
If you must run your HVAC unit without an air filter, you are likely pushing your luck after just a few hours. Have a replacement air filter installed as quickly as possible, and let a technician know that you have operated your equipment without a filter so that they can check for any problems that may have occurred from doing so.
Should I Run My HVAC With a Dirty Filter?
A dirty air filter makes your HVAC system work much harder than normal. This is because it becomes much more difficult for your unit to properly suck in air. This can lead to your equipment using more energy, raising your utility bill, and eventually breaking down ahead of the unit’s projected lifespan.
Nevertheless, it is still much more preferable to run an HVAC with a dirty air filter than with no filter at all. Without any sort of filtration, all that dirt and debris accumulates in your HVAC system, leading to the various problems outlined above.
If your HVAC system is still operable with the dirty filter, leave that filter in until a replacement can be installed. If you have air filters that can be cleaned, follow the instructions for cleaning them. Do this during a time of day when you are less likely to need your HVAC system to be operable. Since it is usually cooler at night, this would generally be the best time. After you have cleaned them, make sure that the filters are dry before they are reinstalled.
If your HVAC system does not use air filters that can be cleaned and reinstalled and the filters are too dirty for the HVAC to run properly, avoid running the system by turning on all of your fans until a service technician can get there. Taking this precaution can help save you and your family from breathing in harmful contaminants as well as prevent a costly repair to your HVAC system.
Call the Professionals
Our team has been serving the residents of Jacksonville, FL and the surrounding areas since 1966. That makes us northeast Florida’s largest family-operated cooling and heating company. In meeting the cooling and heating needs of the community for so many years, we have likely seen every situation under the sun. J&W Heating and Air + Plumbing brings our expertise to every service call, and our technicians strive to always go beyond our customers’ expectations.
We provide a wide range of HVAC services that include repairs, installations, and routine maintenance. Beyond heating and cooling needs, we also offer services like testing indoor air quality, conducting energy audits, and offering strategies for making your systems more efficient. We will be there to meet your service needs and make sure you are 100% satisfied. If you are currently running your HVAC system without an air filter, give us a call today so that we can make sure you are operating your equipment safely again.
