You may consider yourself to be rather diligent when it comes to taking care of your home — you mow the lawn, clean the gutters, tend to your plants, etc. Inside your home, you keep up with the laundry, wash the dishes, make the bed, and so on. But how often do you think about the cleanliness of one of your home’s most vital appliances? (No, we’re not referring to your refrigerator, or washer or dryer — we’re talking about your air conditioner.)

Your AC helps keep your family cool on the hottest, most humid days of summer. Without it, you’d be stuck in a miserable, uncomfortable home. To ensure that this doesn’t happen to your loved ones, keep your AC clean and running as efficiently as possible.

Schedule annual AC maintenance

One of the best (and easiest) things you can do to ensure the clean and efficient operation of your cooling system is to schedule a yearly tune-up with a professional. While many homeowners don’t give a second thought to their AC unless there’s a problem, scheduling this preventive maintenance may help avoid some expensive headaches down the road — e.g., a system breakdown on a hot day.

During a maintenance tune-up, a technician will inspect the internal components of your air conditioning system and remove dirt and dust build-up on them. He or she will also make sure that everything is operating as it should. If there’s a potential problem, it can be addressed before resulting in an untimely breakdown. Often, the repair can be handled during the same appointment if it doesn’t require parts that need to be ordered.

Additionally, the technician will make sure that your cooling system is operating safely. He or she will check the electrical wiring to and from the unit and look for warning signs of a problem. For example, frayed wires will need to be replaced because they could ultimately lead to a fire if neglected.

Change your filter

Along with scheduling a yearly maintenance appointment for your AC to keep it dust-free and operating as well as possible, keep up with monthly filter replacement. Many homeowners mistakenly believe that they don’t need to worry about the air filter during the cooling season — after all, this filter is often installed as part of the furnace. But cooled air from your AC uses the same filter and ductwork.

Regardless of the season, change this filter regularly. Its primary purpose is to trap airborne contaminants, dust, pollen, etc. When you don’t replace the filter often, it can become obstructed and conditioned air from your HVAC system can’t pass through it easily. In turn, this could lead to your AC (or furnace) working overtime to keep your home comfortable. This extra strain may ultimately lead to an unexpected and expensive breakdown.

Change your filter regularly so you don’t jeopardize your home’s indoor air quality. When you have a dirty, dusty air filter, the air that is able to pass through it will pick up contaminants and push them out into your home.

Keep your AC clean and protected

To help you keep your air conditioning system dust-free and operating efficiently, consider enrolling in the Cooling Maintenance Plan from Oncourse Home Solutions. When you’re signed up for the plan, you are entitled to an annual tune-up appointment for your central cooling system. Our trained, experienced, and knowledgeable technicians will be able to ensure that your AC is clean and functioning as well as possible to keep your family comfortable during the hottest months of the year.