Air conditioning systems can accumulate issues over time for many reasons. A common cause is having a bad filter. With this kind of situation, damage to your AC could have been prevented by changing the filter before it got clogged. Here are some serious things that can happen to your air conditioner due to neglecting the filter.

The Evaporator Coil Can Ice Over 

When your filter clogs up, the airflow through the air handler diminishes. Less airflow over the evaporator coils can affect how the refrigerant works. Also, when the filter is coated in dust, the air handler may pull air in around the sides of the filter and that can draw in dust that coats the evaporator coil. A dirty evaporator coil is at risk of freezing over.

If ice forms on your AC, you'll need to turn your AC off so it can melt. Being without your air conditioner on a hot day can be very uncomfortable, but the AC repair technician can't work on the evaporator coil until the ice is gone. When the ice is clear, the technician can scrub the coil to get it clean and put in a new filter so more air circulates through the air handler and ducts.

The Air Handler Might Overheat

When the air handler can't get enough airflow, the parts may struggle to operate. That leads to parts overheating. When your AC overheats, parts might burn out and need to be replaced by an AC repair technician. A safety switch might also be activated and cause your AC to shut down until the situation is resolved. Once the technician makes repairs, they can reset the air handler and get your home cooled down again.

The Blower May Not Function Properly

The blower in your air handler is the fan that blows air through your ducts. If air can't be pulled through the filter easily, the blower may not produce enough air. That could lead to a decreased output of chilled air that leaves your home warm and stuffy. The blower could also accumulate dust that keeps it from spinning freely.

If the blower gets hard to spin, the motor might struggle and burn out. The AC repair technician might need to replace the blower motor in addition to cleaning the blower and changing the filter.

When your AC malfunctions, you may want to check the filter first. Changing a filter isn't difficult, and you should know how to do it and keep spare filters on hand. Keeping the filter clean could prevent the need for expensive AC repairs.