Regularly cleaning air filters is one of the most important maintenance tasks that you need to keep up on for your HVAC equipment. There are numerous negative consequences to running HVAC equipment on dirty air filters. The following are five of the most problematic consequences of neglecting regular air filter cleanings:

Interior air becomes unpleasantly stagnant.

Stagnant air causes a room to feel uncomfortable and stuffy. When HVAC equipment runs on dirty filters, air doesn't circulate properly. 

Stagnant air allows unpleasant odors to build up and can make it difficult to keep rooms clean. Stagnant air can also become excessively moist, and moisture in the air can make it more likely for problems like mold and mildew growth to develop in a home. 

Interior air is more likely to be contaminated.

When you run your HVAC on dirty filters, air circulates through filters that are contaminated with dirt, dust, pollen, bacteria, and other particles. This will detract from interior air quality and make a home much less healthy to live in.

Filters remove contaminants from air that circulates through HVAC equipment. However, dirty filters are counterproductive and will put more contaminants into the air than they take out of the air. 

Clogs are more likely to develop in HVAC system components.

A severely dirty air filter can completely stop air flow through HVAC equipment and cause equipment failure. This can cause extensive damage to HVAC equipment that can be expensive to repair. 

Even if you have a warranty on your HVAC equipment, your warranty might not cover damage that you cause by neglecting to clean your air filter. Keep up on air filter maintenance to ensure that the conditions of your warranty are met.

Energy costs increase to keep running HVAC equipment, while equipment effectiveness goes down.

HVAC equipment running on a dirty filter will consume more energy but operate less efficiently and effectively. You'll most likely notice that your utility bills go up the dirtier your air filter gets.

HVAC equipment consumes more energy on dirty filters because it takes more effort to circulate air through the filter. Anything that restricts air flow in HVAC equipment will increase energy consumption, while also making it more difficult for equipment to moderate the interior temperature.

It takes longer to make adjustments to the interior temperature.

One of the first signs of a dirty air filter that is in need of cleaning is that your HVAC equipment will only very slowly adjust the temperature in your home. This means you'll spend more time coping with uncomfortable interior temperatures in your home.

For information on how to clean an air filter, contact a company like Air Filter Cleaner.