Summer in the United States is no joke and it can get hot in many parts of the country, requiring the need for air conditioning in your home to prevent heat illness and injury. When your home's air conditioning is not working right or goes out, you need to act quickly to get the needed repairs and keep yourself cool until help can arrive. Here are some tips to help you deal with the heat of summer and keep your air conditioner working as efficiently as possible.

Take Care of Your AC Unit

One of the first rules of taking care of your emergency air conditioning equipment is to keep it maintained and cleaned properly to help it work as well as possible. Some companies, like Air 24/7, know that a dirty air filter, clogged and dirty coils, or an overworked compressor is all going to put extra stress on your air conditioner unit. This will make it work harder, use up more energy to power it, and will also wear it out faster. The more stress that is on your AC unit, the more likely it will be to break down earlier. And if this happens during a heat wave, you will need to call an emergency AC technician for immediate service. Change out your unit's air filter each month or as needed, more frequently if you have pets in your home or you smoke. Also hire a professional tune-up on your AC unit each year to oil parts, change out any that are wearing, clean out its interior, and check the motor, blower, and other mechanical areas in the unit. Your AC professional can also maintain the compressor, the coils, and the heat exchange to make sure they are all working properly.

Maintain Your Home's Temperature

Along with taking care of your air conditioner with regular care and maintenance, you should take steps as much as possible to keep the heat out of your home. Manage your home's windows and their coverings, such as window blinds or draperies, to block out the sun's rays and heat. As soon as the sun begins to shine into a window of your home, block it off to the heat with insulated draperies. As a budget option, you can line the window with foil to block the interior solar heat gain.

Turn on ceiling fans to keep the air feeling cooler inside each room and plan to do any cooking outside as much as possible. You can also set a slow cooker outside on your deck or use the grill or your microwave for preparing food.