I just discovered that both of my home AC units have been running without filters for 3 months! Is this OK?

Question

The home warranty company sent a contractor to complete a work order in April. I just went up in the attic to change my filters only to discover he never replaced either of them. HE LEFT THEM COMPLETELY OUT. In addition, the front panel was left completely off one of the units. My power bill was more almost triple last month. Could this have anything to do with it? Also, what are the other potential problems?

Answer 1

It will probably be just fine. Install new clean filters and run the units. If they start freezing up, you'll know there was dirt accumulated on the coils, and further steps must be taken.

Answer 2

AY! Y! Y! -- NO!!  This was NOT O.K.!  You probably have dirt debris all over the cooling coils of your AC units -- reducing the effecive transfer of heat from the air circulating through the units -- and causing the units to run "overtime" (if not constantly) trying to maintain the setting you have on your thermostat.  What kind of 'work order' did the home warranty co. give to the contractor?  You should be able to hold SOMEBODY responsible for a botched-up job that has unduly compromised your AC units!

Answer 3

Both answers are correct.  It will be difficult however to prove that the installer did not replace the filters. Only if you have some witnesses or can have the worker that had to install the filters, to admit that he did not finish the job, you have a case. Now you have to reason with the company that they should accept the responsibility and finish the job as mentioned. To ask for more looks difficult to me. Next time verify everything that has to be done together with somebody else and make pictures and put up in writing as soon as possible what is wrong and give a reasonable period of time to have it fixed before you can make a case.  Good luck.

Answer 4

I'd get hold of the warranty company's supervisor and insist they come and clean the coils on your AC's. The filters are there to trap dust and dirt so it doesn't clog the vanes of the cooling coils. Running without them has probably clogged or at least partially clogged the coils thereby greatly decreasing the efficiency of the cooling units. There's no excuse for sloppy maintenance such as that.