Installing an HVAC filter upside down can have serious consequences for your air conditioning and heating system. When air is forced to pass through the non-porous side of a filter, it requires more energy to do so, resulting in higher utility bills and additional wear and tear on your HVAC system. The most common problem you'll face with a rear-facing filter is simple inefficiency, but it can also lead to system failure, mold problems, poor indoor air quality, and other issues. Air filters are designed to be installed in one direction only. The most efficient way to install a filter is with the arrows pointing towards the blower fan.
This allows air to flow freely through the more porous side of the filter, trapping dust and debris before they reach critical HVAC components. If the filter is installed backwards, it will greatly slow down airflow and your oven will have more difficulty operating. When efficiency decreases, the likelihood of a system failure increases. This could include a refrigerant line leak or a failed compressor. The blower will overwork and you'll pay more money for your heating.
The same goes doubly with an air conditioner that has several filters in place to keep outside contaminants out of the indoor air. The biggest problem with installing an air filter upside down is that the oven has to work harder to do its job. This will result in higher utility bills and may cause damage to your oven. You won't feel the effects of this at first, but this inefficiency can build up and lead to furnace system breakage and further repairs. Even with proper air filter maintenance, you should have your HVAC system cleaned and serviced at least once a year. Airflow arrows should be printed on the side of the air cleaner to show how to install the filter.
Both sides may look the same, but filter manufacturers make filters so that the air goes in one direction efficiently. Having an inverted HVAC filter can cause system damage, mold problems, poor indoor air quality, and other problems. When you install the oven filter upside down, there is no uniform distribution of dust throughout the 1-inch filter material. Under the exhaust pressure of the blower fan, these filter structures will eventually fail over time. It basically boils down to the fact that the filter was designed to be more porous when air first hits the filter (to trap larger particles) and less porous on the outlet side (to trap small dust particles). Installing an oven or AC filter upside down is a breeze to do if you don't understand the return versus supply side HVAC loop. The most common problem you will have if you have an improperly installed filter is decreased efficiency.
This can lead to higher utility bills and may cause damage to your oven. The result is an increase in your utility bill and additional wear and tear on your HVAC system. Therefore, when installing a filter backwards it would mean that your oven has to work harder to get the results you want. Air filters have direction arrows to indicate in which direction to install the air filter on the return. The filter prevents these contaminants from damaging the oven by collecting dust and debris before they reach critical HVAC components. Having an inverted HVAC filter can cause system damage, mold problems, poor indoor air quality, and other problems.
Installing an HVAC filter upside down can have serious consequences for your air conditioning and heating system.
