Summer is on its way! This means means preparing for the kids being out of school, summer vacations, trips to the neighborhood pool, and of course those brutally hot summer temperatures. The temperatures are already rising quickly, and this is just a small glimpse of what it will feel like when the real heat wave actually arrives.

In the midst of making your summer preparations, don’t forget about your air conditioning system! Now is the perfect time to perform air conditioner preventive maintenance to ensure it is running properly when summer temperatures hit. Here are a few important things to to check.

One of the most beneficial things you can do is to have a your a/c checked out by a professional. They’ll be able to look closer at your system to find small kinks that you might not catch that could create future problems.

If you haven’t already, turn your air conditioner on to make sure it works. If you sense something is wrong with its performance, call a trusted service technician to come out and inspect your a/c. It’s better to find the problem now than it is on the hottest day of the year.

Change your air filters. Although you are supposed to change your filters approximately every 30 days (depending on the filter), it is even more important right before a time when your a/c is going to be working overtime to keep your home cool.

Clear any plants or debris from around your unit(s).

Think about installing a programmable thermostat. It can prove to be an effective way to save on home energy costs.

Consider getting your ducts cleaned. Not only will this improve air quality but can increase the efficiency of your system.

You may even consider replacing your current system if you have an older system.. New air conditioners today use about 40% less energy than a lot of systems made just 10 years ago! This could mean major savings on your utility bills.

In addition, there are a number of things you can do to prepare your home in general for the summer heat. For one, make sure that your windows are properly sealed so no cool air escapes outside. You should also consider planting trees around your home to provide shade and reduce the amount of heat that hits your house. Ceiling fans are also a great idea if you want to make your home cooler without lowering the temperature by the air conditioner.

Since summer temperatures are just around the corner, we hope you found these tips helpful and useful. Remember, there is no better time than now to perform preventative maintenance on your air conditioning system and home.