Whether you have a whole-house or one-room air conditioner, don’t make it work harder than it should. Follow these tips for keeping your AC running smoothly, so your home will stay cool all season long.

Most central air conditioners have two basic parts: an outdoor unit (compressor/condenser) that sits next to your home and an indoor unit (evaporator) that’s located in a central duct near your furnace. If you have a heat pump instead of a furnace, the indoor unit will be in the air handler. Use the same maintenance steps we show here. If your furnace looks different from the one shown or you have a heat pump, use the owner’s manual to find your way around it. The basic parts will be the same.

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1. Vacuum the fins of your AC unit clean with a soft-bristle brush. Note: they’re fragile and can easily be bent or crushed. On many units you’ll have to unscrew and lift off a metal box to get at them. Check your owner’s manual for directions and lift off the box carefully to avoid bumping the fins.

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2. A programmable thermostat is a must-have in today’s state of AC technology. Programmable thermostats allow you to set temperatures for various times throughout the day and automatically lower the temperature when you most need it to help you save money and manage your cooling without constantly hovering over the dial.

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3. The concrete pads under air conditioner and heat exchanger units tend to settle over the years. As long as there’s no strain on the copper coolant tubes and electrical lines, and the unit stays dry and level, it’s OK that the pad has sunk.

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