SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — With the weather warming up, more people are starting to turn on their AC units. HVAC companies are preparing for a busy summer, which is why now is the perfect time to make sure your unit has no issues.

Logan Mills, the field supervisor for Air Services Heating and Cooling, Plumbing and Electrical, tells me the little things could be the difference between repairing your AC unit and buying a new one.

“The cleaning and tuning of the systems and having that yearly maintenance done. And it doesn’t just have to be done in the summer; it can be done during the spring, summer, winter times, but just having a clean system is the first step,” said Mills.

One simple tip to make sure your AC unit is functioning properly is to change the air filters every three months.

Mills said one misconception that he hears a lot is if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. While that phrase may not be entirely wrong, it’s all about maintaining the unit so it doesn’t get to the point where you are having issues in the middle of 100-degree weather.

He said many outside units have things that could disrupt the airflow, including pollen and debris that may cause problems down the road.

“It can cause premature breakdowns,” Mills said. “It can cause parts to go bad and just the units work harder than they should.”

Running your AC at full blast for an extended period of time can be pretty costly.

Mills said technology has played a big role in helping people to stay cool during the hot months while not having to pay a high utility bill.

“Technology has gone a long way. There are units out there that are very, very efficient,” Mills said.

The newer AC units are made to save you more money while producing cold air throughout the day.

He said while AC units are made to cool you off, turning the temperatures down to 65 and 66 degrees and letting it run for a long period of time will put a strain on the unit.

Keeping the temperature a couple of degrees higher to give your AC unit a bit of a break. 

Mills suggests If you have an older AC unit and it constantly breaks down or leaks, it would be cheaper to purchase a new one because the parts and coolant needed to repair older units are sometimes not made anymore and would be more expensive to get.