Essentially your air conditioner filter is a collector of dust, dirt, grime, and other nasty microscopic things that float around your home. When your heating or cooling system is turned on, it collects these particles to protect your system and clean your home’s air, which protects YOUR lungs. Like the lint trap in your dryer, it accumulates a thick layer of these air-borne particles as it circulates air throughout your home.
Once it has trapped a certain amount, it becomes full and ineffective and gradually restricts the airflow moving through your system. This requires your system to work harder to keep you cool or warm, wasting energy and increasing your monthly bill. As air filters get dirtier, they also become less effective at capturing the airborne germs and pollutants that can irritate your family’s breathing. Stuffy noses, sneezing, allergies, and even asthma are triggered. Your family inhales what your filter can’t handle any longer.
An old and forgotten filter can eventually accumulate so much dirt and grime that it can totally choke off the airflow to the system causing a myriad of problems. In the worst case, the filter will be sucked into the blower motor and cause thousands of dollars in damage to your system.