Now that the weather is starting to warm up, it's time to transition your home from heating to cooling. Since you still have a few weeks of cold weather to endure, now's a good time to start prepping your air conditioner. Taking care of a few maintenance issues will ensure that your air conditioner is up and ready to go as soon as the weather turns warm. To help get you started, here are three simple suggestions that will help you transition from heater to air conditioner.

Clean the Ducts

Keeping your ducts clean is a good way to improve the air quality inside your home, reduce energy costs, and extend the life of your HVAC system. Dirty ducts can send dirt, pollutants and allergens floating into your home. That same dirt can also clog up your HVAC system, which means it will have to work even harder to keep you comfortable. To prevent overworking and keep your air clean, you should have your ducts cleaned about once a year. Adding the project to your spring cleaning list is a good way to remember.

Take Care of the Replacements

Now that the temperatures are on the rise, it's a good idea to make sure that you take care of some basic replacements. The first thing you should replace is your furnace filter. Keeping your filter clean will ensure that your air conditioner has sufficient airflow to keep your home comfortably cool.

The next thing you should do is replace the batteries in your thermostat. This is particularly true if you can't remember the last time they were changed. Changing the batteries in your thermostat will help you avoid problems this summer. When the batteries wear out in your thermostat, your air conditioner will stop working. The last thing you want is to pay for a service call only to find out that the batteries had died.

Give Your AC a Test Run

Before you start relying on your air conditioner, you should take it on a test run. Giving it a test run will help you identify potential problems. First, switch the thermostat from heat to cool. Next lower the temperature setting so that the air conditioner cycles on. Finally, allow the air conditioner to work through one full cycle. If you notice any problems, such as the unit doesn't come on, or it fails to cool your home down to the temperature setting, you'll need to schedule a service call as soon as possible.

For more information, contact companies like Augusta Mechanical Heating & Air Conditioning.