WATCH: How to maintain the quality of your air conditioner without damaging it

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The modern air conditioner was not designed for the triple-digit heat index, according to one local expert.

“Our design temperatures are around 95 degrees,” explained Sam Mullins, the owner of Automatic Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing. “When it gets up to these extremes, it is definitely harder to heat and cool a space.”

However, properly maintaining your air conditioner can save you thousands in the long run.

“If a unit is not cleaned and maintained, it cannot get rid of that heat,” Mullins said. “(They will last) between 15 and 20 years, but we could easily get only five to seven if you’re not taking care of them.”

The easiest way to maintain the quality of a system is to change your filters frequently, Mullins said.

“Leaves, dirt, dust, and grass” are the enemy of the air conditioner, he warned.

WATCH: Maintaining your A/C unit

He recommended changing a one-inch filter once a month but no less than once a quarter.

“Anything that restricts airflow is going to cause problems with heating and cooling,” he explained.

Cleaning the coils on your air conditioner’s condenser is also absolutely necessary, he said.

“The cleaner you keep this coil, the cooler your house will be,” said Frank Harris, the company’s install manager. “The lower your utilities will be and the longer your units will last.”

However, Mullins said you could risk damaging the system if the water pressure is too high.

maintaining your air conditioner (Sam Mullins, Automatic Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing)

“You have to be very careful about water pressure because of the fins on an air conditioner,” Mullins said. “If they get folded over, it’s the same as covering it up with dirt and dust.”

Because the air conditioner acts like “a vacuum cleaner,” he recommends turning the unit off while you mow the lawn outside.

When in doubt, he recommended hiring a professional.

“Leave it to the people who have done it,” Harris said. “Because if they mess it up, they have to fix it.”

maintaining your air conditioner (Sam Mullins, Automatic Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing)

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