I have an amcor dehumidifier which does not have a filter. Every couple of years the performance drops noticably and I have to remove the outer casing and clean the dust and dirt off the fan and refrigerator elements. This is an awkward and messy job but improves the performance considerably and probably prolongs the life of the unit. It is well worth the effort but I wouldn't recommend trying it unless you are good at taking things apart and putting them back together!!! Don't forget to save the water and use it in you iron, especially if like me you live in a hard water area.
Mark Sutton, November 2006