It’s important to consider the effects the summer heat will have on your cooling system. Like the majority of your home’s systems, proper maintenance can help to increase your air conditioner’s lifespan and ensure that it works properly.

There are many types of air conditioning systems; however they all work on the same principle: moving heat from a relatively cool space to a relatively warm space. In the summer, air conditioners take heat from the house air and transfer it to the exterior. Air-cooled air conditioning systems are the most common. They have two main components:

The condenser – a large metal box outdoors. It’s an item you have to carefully rake around in the fall and clear snow off in the winter. Sometimes it even comes with its own special plastic cover. Inside the condenser is the compressor: a pump that moves the refrigerant through the system and compresses the refrigerant, raising its temperature significantly. The compressor is the heart of the system.

The evaporator – is inside the home, it may be in the ductwork immediately above the furnace or in a fan coil in the attic. It is used to turn the refrigerant, the medium which carries the heat, from a liquid into a gaseous state.

Severe damage can occur to air conditioning compressors if they are turned on when the outside temperature is below 65º F (16º C). The life expectancy of a compressor is typically 10 to 15 years in moderate climates and as little as 8 to 10 years in hot climates. It’s important to make sure the condenser is on level ground. You should also check to make sure that the condenser is positioned a safe distance away from exhaust discharge vents. Hot air discharging from a water heater exhaust vent or a dryer vent can affect the operation of air conditioning systems. These should be kept several feet from the condenser.

If your condenser is running loudly, the best course of action you can take is to contact a service specialist to diagnose and correct the issue. There are several causes for noisy condensers; a technician will be able to assess the problem and offer remediation advice. Many of the complications you can encounter with your air-cooling system will be hard for the majority of homeowners to identify.

There are also some air conditioner maintenance tasks homeowners can assume themselves. Change the filter – dust and dirt can build up on the filter, affecting the efficiency and performance of the unit. Keep your condenser clear of dirt and debris – dirt outside your condenser quickly becomes dirt inside your condenser as the fan draws air through the coils.