The best thing you can do to prolong the life of your system is to have it regularly serviced by a professional. In addition, here are a few tips for easy things you can do to avoid costly air conditioning repair:

• Keep leaves and debris from collecting around your outdoor air conditioning unit. This simple action prevents dirt from clogging up your system and keeps airflow paths clear.
• When arranging furniture layouts and carpeting installations, make sure air grills and ductwork are not blocked.
• Use blinds and shades on west and south-facing windows to keep out heat in the summer.
• Use programmable thermostats to reduce air conditioning usage when it’s not needed.

Since as much as 50% of your building’s energy consumption is used by your HVAC system, it’s smart to look for ways to make your system use less energy. Here are a few tips:

• Upgrade to a newer high-efficiency air conditioning unit. Upgrading to high-efficiency equipment can pay for itself in a surprisingly short period of time.
• Perform an energy audit to determine your usage needs, then install programmable thermostats to decrease usage when it’s not needed.
• Install economizers, which measure outside air to determine when it’s cool and dry enough to provide comfortable conditions inside. If it is, outside air is used instead of running the air conditioner, reducing energy usage.
• Have your system regularly cleaned and tuned up. Dirty systems with worn parts must work harder to produce the same results, and use more energy in the process.