One of the hardest things about the summer is avoiding putting too much strain on your air conditioner, mostly because the high temperatures can make it very tempting to keep your air conditioner on constantly. The problem with this is that by putting too much strain on your air conditioner, you are just begging for it to break down and require potentially expensive repairs or a complete replacement. Listed below are two simple ways to keep your air conditioner in good shape throughout the summer. 

Clean Or Replace Your Air Filter

A major component of your air conditioner is the air filter, so it is very important to make sure that your air filter is changed or cleaned on a regular basis, especially in the summer when the air conditioner is in use a lot. If the air filter is allowed to get too dirty, it can actually restrict the flow of air to your air conditioner, which will force your system to work much harder to keep your home at the desired temperature. 

Finding the air filter for a central air system can often be a bit tricky, as it is not typically located on the unit itself, but in the intake vent within your home. The air intake vent will typically look like a large air vent and is usually located near your furnace. If you choose to clean rather than replace your air vent, you can usually use a vacuum cleaner's hose attachment to quickly and easily remove the dust that has accumulated on the filter. 

Set A Reasonable Temperature

One of the biggest ways that you can put a lot of strain on your central air conditioning unit is by going crazy with your thermostat settings. Sure, in the middle of summer it can often be extremely tempting to drop your thermostat's setting into the low 60's or even into the 50's, but this is a big mistake because those settings do not mean that your air conditioner will blow out air that is at that temperature. Instead, those low settings mean that your air conditioner will stay on as long as necessary to reach those temperatures, even if that means staying on 24 hours a day. 

When setting your thermostat, try to keep the settings to a more reasonable temperature that you will still find comfortable. For example, raising your thermostats settings into the low 70's will greatly reduce your cooling expenses and actually allow the air conditioner to turn off on occasion and give it a rest to reduce the strain on the unit. 

Contact an air conditioning repair service or HVAC contractor today in order to discuss how to keep your air conditioner in good shape for as long as possible. Cleaning or replacing your air filter and setting a reasonable temperature can help you avoid costly air conditioner repairs due to reducing the strain on your unit.