Air conditioners are one of the most important parts of a home. During the hot summer months, they provide an invaluable service, keeping indoor environments cool and comfortable for family and friends.

Like many of the devices inside our homes, it’s easy to forget about our air conditioners. We turn them on when the temperature starts rising, wait for them to blow out cold air, and go about our days. The only time we really pay attention to our air conditioners is when they don’t work.

There’s nothing worse than waking up on the hottest day of summer to discover your A/C has stopped working overnight. A broken A/C can cause your home to feel like an oven, which is not only uncomfortable for everyone inside but also potentially damaging to your home. Luckily, there’s a simple way to prevent your A/C from breaking down during the summer: a yearly A/C Tune-up from Four Seasons!

A/C tune-ups are the simplest way to maintain your air conditioner and prevent it from breaking down when you need it the most. Getting yearly A/C maintenance before the heat hits ensures your unit will be able to handle the demand of the hot summer months.

Here are five reasons we recommend every homeowner should get an A/C tune-up this season.

They Prevent Breakdowns

A/C tune-ups are often referred to as “preventative maintenance.” During tune-ups, HVAC technicians inspect the inside and outside of your unit to check for any issues that might lead to a breakdown in the future months ahead. By getting your air conditioner checked for problems, you’re preventing any unexpected breakdowns that might have occurred otherwise.

Getting an A/C tune-up is the easiest and most effective way to keep your unit running strong all season long. At Four Seasons, we’ve dealt with a lot of with A/C breakdowns, and so many of them could have been avoided with preventative maintenance.

We’re so confident about the importance of A/C tune-ups for preventing breakdowns that we even offer a 1 Year No Breakdown Guarantee to our customers, and we’ll return to their house free of charge if their A/C breaks down after we perform an A/C tune-up on it.

If you want your A/C unit to remain breakdown-free throughout the summer, don’t skip your yearly tune-up.

They Make Your Unit More Energy Efficient

Just like any other piece of equipment in your home, dust and debris can build up in your air conditioner over time. While you can dust the outside of the unit, the internal coils and mechanical parts can only be cleaned by a professional.

A little bit of dust and dirt might not seem like a big deal, but it can impact your air conditioner’s ability to function. The coils on the inside and outside of your A/C work through the process of heat exchange, absorbing and releasing heat to create the pressure and energy needed to cool your home. If these coils are coated in dust and dirt, it makes it much more difficult for them to perform the necessary heat exchange, forcing your A/C to work harder. By getting your A/C cleaned and inspected by a qualified technician, you can improve its energy efficiency throughout the summer.

They Can Lower Your Energy Bills

Energy efficiency and your monthly energy bill go hand in hand. According to ENERGY STAR, the average annual utility bill for a single-family home is $2,060. They estimate 13% of that goes towards cooling costs, although that percentage can vary depending on a number of different factors.

With a large chunk of your annual energy expenditures going towards cooling costs, it’s important to make sure your A/C is as energy efficient as possible. The less energy your air conditioner has to use to cool your home, the lower your energy bill will be.

They Will Make Your A/C Last Longer

As mentioned above, a dirty A/C has to work harder to cool your home. Dust and debris gather inside your unit over time and decrease its overall energy efficiency.

Choosing not to get your yearly tune-up can lead to higher energy costs in the short term. The long term consequences are even more severe: skipping yearly maintenance can shorten the lifespan of your air conditioner.

The average A/C lasts about 15 to 20 years, differing a little per household. There are several different factors that can impact how long an A/C lasts, such as frequency of use, but the most important factor is whether or not you’re getting a yearly tune-up.

Much like a car, air conditioners require regular maintenance to function properly. They’re complex pieces of equipment, and they need a little TLC every now and then. If you forgo yearly maintenance, your unit will have to work harder and harder to produce the same results, which puts strain on the system over time.

Air conditioners are one of the biggest investments you can make for your home, so make sure to take care of it! Don’t skip out on yearly A/C tune-ups.

They Maintain Your Manufacturer Warranty

When you purchased your A/C, it likely came with a manufacturer’s warranty that covers the cost of various issues your unit could experience. However, because air conditioners are different from your typical electronic device, your warranty probably came with a few requirements.

The majority of A/C warranties require yearly maintenance from certified technicians in order to stay valid. If you choose to skip your yearly tune-up or attempt to perform maintenance on your unit by yourself, you could void your warranty. The best way to keep your A/C under warranty is to hire qualified technicians that can perform yearly maintenance on your unit. Not only will they perform the preventative maintenance your warranty requires, but they will also understand how to stay within your warranty while repairing any issues they come across during the tune-up.

Your air conditioner is one of the most important parts of your home. It keeps your family cool, reduces the thick Midwest humidity, and allows you to create fun summer memories in a comfortable home. Treat it like the important piece of equipment it is by scheduling your yearly tune-up. A Four Seasons A/C Tune-up can reduce your energy bills, increase your unit’s energy efficiency, and guarantee that you enjoy the summer season without any breakdowns.