Whether your central air conditioner is brand new or 21 years old like mine it needs regular maintenance. At a minimum you should have your system professionally checked out once every two years in northern climates or yearly in southern states that use their systems all year.

As a homeowner there are some easy things you can do yourself to keep your system running well and avoid major issues by simple mistakes!

Before you turn your system on for the season (via circuit break or thermostat) take a look at the outside unit, called the condenser.

Make sure that if you have a cover on your outside unit that you remove it
Clan any leaves or debris on the unit or around it
It’s a good idea to replace your thermostat batteries each spring before they need replacing, if the thermostat fails you wil wake up to a cold house or hot house. Changing the batteries can avoid this
REPLACE your filter at least once per year. Older systems were generally not designed to use HEPA type filters and they can reduce airflow and cooling ability. Don’t assume a better filter is always better, often these systems will work poorly with them. If you have a newer system 7 years old less, HEPA filter are usually OK and the ducting has been correctly sized for them
Check your drain line, you will have one of these outside your house by a gutter on some systems or at ground level, if possible make sure no critters or bugs have blocked the end of this line.
Run your system EARLY to test things out. Don’t wait for the 90 degree day to find out you have an issue. Check it out early to be prepared if your central air conditioner won’t start to give you time to get a service technician to come out.