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Air Conditioners are complicated, but one of the things they must do effectivley is move air through the outdoor condenser coil, which is a lot like the radiator in your car. If that condenser gets clogged it can't breathe and your A/C will suffer because of it. Keep shrubbery and other items away from the unit, and turn it off when you cut the grass - and be sure to have it cleaned annually by a professional. While a clean water flush is okay, you really need to have the coil chemically cleaned (and no, the stuff you buy at Lowes doesn't do the job).

Summer means dust and dirt, and filters are your first line of defense. A clogged filter can mean the difference between cooling and sweltering on those hot summer days, so do yourself a favor and change your filter regularly. Be leery of those "high efficiency" filters you see in the big box home improvement stores. Your system needs a lot of air to function properly, and many of the less expensive filters don't allow enough air to flow through them. If you're not sure ask us about the right type of filter to use.

You do have one, right? Right? If you do, make sure to change the batteries at least once a year. If you don't - shame on you! Fire/Smoke detectors save lives, are cheap (in many cases your fire department will give you one free) and easy to install. Also, why not go all the way and install a Fire/Smoke/CO detector to give yourself full peace of mind. When replacing, go with the newer photovoltaic. They tend to alarm first, give fewer false alarms, and are generally more reliable than the older style.