Taking good care of your air conditioner will extend its life and ensure it continues to help cool off your home effectively. However, the care your air conditioner needs may depend, in part, on the type of climate you live in. If you live in an area that is quite dry and dusty, here are some key tips to help you better maintain your AC system. 

Hose the condenser cage off regularly.

When there's a lot of dust blowing around, it can accumulate on the cage that surrounds your condenser unit. This cage and the condenser itself sometimes become a tiny bit moist during operation, and then any dust that blows up tends to stick to them. If you hose off the condenser cage and even the condenser regularly, then this dust layer won't have a chance to get too thick. You may want to turn the AC off for a couple of hours after you hose it down. This way, it will have a chance to dry before it starts turning on again and releasing more of its own moisture.

Change your filter monthly.

The filter in your AC system is meant to trap dust and dirt that are blowing through the ducts. In a dry, dusty climate, this filter will become clogged with dirt faster. Your friends in other climates may be able to get by with seasonal filter changes, but you really want to change yours monthly. Keeping on a monthly filter change schedule will help prevent the filter from clogging and driving up your energy bills. It will also help prevent short-cycling, dust accumulation in your ducts, and a range of other HVAC problems that can arise from a dirty filter.

Have your ducts cleaned.

About once a year, or maybe every other year, arrange to have a duct cleaning company come clean out your ducts. This will help prevent dirt from accumulating on the air conditioner itself. It will also help keep your air and home a lot cleaner. After all, any dust in your ducts gets blown out into your home each time the AC kicks on. You won't want to breathe that in.

With regular duct cleaning, more frequent filter changes, and the periodic rinse-off of your condenser unit, you can do a better job of caring for your home air conditioner. Talk to an HVAC contractor in your area to learn more.