What Happens When an Air Filter is Installed Wrongly?

Installing an air filter in the wrong direction can have serious consequences. Not only will it waste energy, but it can also damage the air conditioner or heating system. Beyond the cost of improper filtering, you are likely to suffer from a decline in indoor air quality.

Air filters

are built to be installed in a certain direction, and if placed backwards, the normally collective end of the device will not face the air supply.

In fact, the filter will help keep debris in the air. When a filter is installed in the wrong direction, it can quickly become clogged with dust, pollen, dander and other particles. Air quality within the living space suffers when an oven filter is incorrectly installed. The filter cannot capture dust particles either when air moves through the filter in the wrong direction. Unwanted debris ends up floating in the air in the house instead of being trapped by the filter. This can reduce HVAC efficiency and increase heating and cooling costs.

If the filter is too dense, the heater or air conditioner may need to run longer to counteract increased air resistance. Too small a filter allows contaminants to build up on critical components, which impairs performance. Advanced filters can last a little longer between cleanings and replacements, so check with the manufacturer for a recommended program. If the oven is forced to blow air through the non-porous end of a filter, more energy will be needed to do so. It's important to change or clean the air filter frequently. Under the exhaust pressure of the blower fan, these filter structures will eventually fail over time, causing the cardboard filter frame to bend or even bend in the return box.

That means you'll need to go to a local factory authorized dealer to get models directly from your air conditioner manufacturer, not one-size-fits-all air filters from a hardware store. By installing the filter upside down, air will have more difficulty flowing through the filter and your air handler will have to work harder to compensate for the loss of airflow. Therefore, be sure to look for the arrows that are printed on the sides of the filters, as they show you in which direction they are supposed to be installed. A good air filter helps prevent dust and dirt from accumulating on all internal components of the unit; a bad one will cause additional wear and tear that can lead to serious maintenance problems in the future.