Summer is here and temperatures are rising. If you have an air-conditioning unit, having it serviced, maintained and repaired should be an important part of your routine, both during the summer and throughout the year.

Here are five reasons you should keep your air-conditioning equipment properly serviced and repaired:

1. Routine maintenance can prevent break downs

Having a maintenance schedule for your equipment can prevent break downs from happening. Your service technician will sometimes find small issues at the time they are servicing the equipment. If they can repair those at the same time they are doing the service, it reduces the chances of a larger breakdown at an inopportune time. Think about having a spring tune-up and inspection. The technician can identify any areas of concern and ensure any needed repairs are done before you need your air-conditioner to work at full capacity.

2. Regular service can reduce the number of break downs

Having regular service done to your air-conditioning equipment can lower the frequency of breakdowns. Catching small issues early, or having preventative maintenance inspections done can reduce, or even eliminate, the risk of a catastrophic failure down the road. Air conditioning units never seem to fail when it’s a reasonable temperature outside so if you don’t want to suffer through a heatwave, getting your air-conditioner properly serviced can save you time, money and discomfort down the road.

3. Doing small repairs when needed can prevent larger issues

Don’t put off doing a small repair when it’s first identified. Repairing a minor problem when it’s noticed can prevent it from being a larger, more expensive problem later on. Mechanical equipment only lasts so long, and if you don’t maintain it, the lifespan will get shorter and shorter.

4. Regular service can save you money

Add up what you spend over a year for air-conditioning equipment failures. Then weigh that against the cost of having a routine maintenance schedule. Chances are, you’ll come out ahead if you routinely service your air-conditioner and you’ll likely extend the life of your equipment as well. The older the equipment gets, the harder it is to find parts, so having it inspected and serviced on a regular basis can reduce those costs along the way.

5. Equipment downtime is reduced

Having your air-conditioner inspected, cleaned, and serviced on a regular basis will lessen the amount of downtime in the event of a breakdown. Any malfunctioning parts can be identified and ordered before they fail completely, ensuring your air-conditioner will work when you really need it to. Air-conditioning equipment has a lot of moving parts. And like anything mechanical, some of the biggest breakdowns are created by the failure of one little component.

Getting your air-conditioner checked and serviced a couple of times a year will pro-long its life, and keep you cool when you need it the most. Think of your routine air conditioning repair service like an oil change for your car. Small fixes can prevent larger problems from happening and keep your equipment running smoothly all year long.