Summer will be upon us before we know it, and the heat that comes along with it can cause several problems for your home. If you don’t take measures to prepare, high temperatures can disrupt your comfort, damage your appliances, and cost you excessive amounts of money in monthly bills and repair jobs. To avoid these issues, start preparing your household for summer during late winter or early spring; this way, you’ll have plenty of time to make sure you’re ready for the rising temps.

Replace Your HVAC Filter

When the weather heats up, you’ll probably want to crank up your home’s air conditioning, which means that your HVAC air filter will have to catch far more particles of dust, dirt, and debris. This can quickly lead to the filter becoming clogged, which will make it difficult for the system to circulate cool air. That extra strain will put lots of wear and tear on your cooling system and use up more energy, but you can prevent it by regularly replacing the filter. Switch it out before summer begins, and check it once a month from then on.

Have Your Air Conditioner Inspected

At the beginning of summer, many homeowners will start up their cooling system after not using it for months, and discover that it isn’t working properly. Just like that, they’re stuck in a hot, uncomfortable house. Do yourself a favor and have a professional cooling technician inspect your air conditioning unit before the weather gets harsh. This way, if it turns out that you do need an air conditioning repair, you can have them handled before you need to rely on the appliance.

Install or Upgrade Insulation

Although most people associate home insulation with staying warm, it can be effective for helping you keep cool as well. If your walls, ceilings, floors, and attic are equipped with high-quality insulation, they’ll do an excellent job of keeping cool air trapped inside your home. Without that insulation, much of that conditioned air will escape, which will force your cooling system to compensate for the loss; this will put more strain on the system and waste costly energy.

The last thing you want is to wake up, discover it’s 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside, and realize you haven’t done anything to get your household ready for the extreme heat. If you’re diligent about preparing ahead of time, you’ll enjoy both peace of mind and comfort all summer long.