So you just lost your central heating plan with a small crack.
Air filters are actually quite important, especially when it comes to a furnace. A gas furnace uses air filters to stop dust from getting inside the machine! Once a month you need to take out the air filter and upgrade it with a more modern 1. If you leave a dirty air filter in there, the dust then is allowed to get inside the system. So what is the immense deal? So you have a dirty furnace? Nobody will die from that right? Well you actually could. Dust getting into the furnace means it is getting into important parts and causing them to run slowly and sluggishly. You still have your thermostat set to 74 degrees and the furnace wants to achieve that setting. So the furnace has to work harder to take out the dust. It eventually will overheat. Best case scenario a small area is ruined and it is an over 300 dollar furnace repair. Worst case scenario the furnace overheats to the point where it lights on fire. Yes, a furnace can legitimately catch on fire. Another major problem is that the heat exchanger can crack when highly overheated. This area is almost as expensive as the whole furnace. So you just lost your central heating plan with a small crack. You can’t operate it with a crack either since carbon monoxide will then get released into your home. This colorless, aromaless gas is poisonous and can cause hospitalization and even death to the residents when exposed to it. All of this is caused by simple overheating. To stop overheating, get official furnace services and change your air filter weekly.