High Pressure
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If any of your units are dirty (indoor or outdoor) this means that they are going to have a harder time moving air through them. This is one of the most important things that a heat pump needs to be able to do. Without normal airflow, a heat pump will be forced to work harder to get the same level of performance it was once capable of. This causes the pressure of the refrigerant to be elevated. Why is this bad? Higher pressures give your system a much higher chance of springing leaks in the pipes. This can lead to extremely expensive repairs on a machine that is supposed to save you money!
High Energy Bills
Heat pumps achieve their remarkable efficiency mainly due to their variable speed compressor. This means that instead of working at 100% turning on and off, your heat pump can "idle down" and find a much lower percentage that it can consistently put out to maintain your space temperature. This leads to huge energy savings. If your heat pump is dirty it will have to work harder to heat and cool. Not only does this increase your chances of springing a leak, It also loses efficiency! This means higher energy bills.
Air Quality
Heat pumps constantly circulate your indoor air through them. This is good when they are collecting dust and particles from your air. This is bad when they have collected a lot and have not been cleaned. If the dust and mold does not get washed out of them, they will start to redistribute it in the air. In the summer time when you put your heat pump into cooling mode, the indoor coil will condensate like a cold soda can. This helps dehumidify your indoor air, but it can also cause promote mold and bacteria growth if your unit is dirty. This picture is some water that came out of one heat pump indoor unit that we cleaned. This unit had only been installed for 2 years, but as you can see it was definitely time for cleaning.