Whether you have a whole-house or one-room air conditioner, don’t make it work harder than it should. Follow these tips for keeping your AC running smoothly, so your home will stay cool all season long.

1.    FREQUENCY OF REPAIRS

While it’s normal to need air conditioning repairs once in a while, constant repairs quickly add up for homeowners and are a warning sign of possibly bigger problems to come. Far too many homeowners ignore their HVAC equipment as long as it is working, failing to invest in routine maintenance.

Think of routine maintenance, of annual AC tune-ups, as physical exams for your air conditioner. AC technicians can spot small problems and fix them before they become big problems. For example, a bad AC capacitor is a quick and inexpensive fix. If undetected and not addressed, a bad capacitor could lead to compressor failure, which is a much more expensive repair that will cost thousands of dollars.

Quality equipment properly installed and maintained should not require significant investment in repairs for the first 5-10 years. If you are paying too much to keep your AC unit running, or are struggling to keep up with frequent breakdowns, it may be less expensive to replace your air conditioner instead of constantly repairing it.

2.    YOUR ENERGY BILLS KEEP INCREASING

There are several reasons why you might see higher energy bills, including rising utility rates and increased usage. But if your electric company is not raising your rates and you find yourself paying more, you should make sure your air conditioner is working right.

3.    LONG-TERM VS. SHORT-TERM COSTS TO REPLACE AN AIR CONDITIONER

Sometimes the cost to fix something is higher than the cost to replace it. For example, replacing a compressor in the central air system will cost $1,500 – $3,000, installed, depending on equipment size.

When faced with making expensive repairs like this it’s important to balance the short-term cost (say, the price of a new compressor) with the long-term sustainability of your AC unit. An older air conditioner (8-15 years) that is wearing down generally is not worth keeping when faced with a big repair bill.

Newer AC units in good condition shouldn’t need to be replaced and may have factory warranty coverage remaining. When the cost to repair would be in the range of 25-50 percent of the cost to replace an air conditioner, the benefits and reduced long-term costs are likely to outweigh the short-term savings.