Ahhhh, spring. Beautiful blossoms, March winds and fresh April showers signal warmer days ahead. Will your A/C be ready to cool things down when the sun begins to shine? Keep reading for tips to get your home comfort system ready for the season:

Simple maintenance

After clearing any leaves, brush and dirt from inside your air conditioner's top grille, trim nearby shrubs and bushes to allow at least two feet of clearance around the unit. Replace your air conditioner filter once a month, because dirty filters restrict airflow and mean your system can waste energy.

Better now than later

Even if it isn't a very warm day, go ahead and set your thermostat to cooling mode now and run your air conditioner a few minutes to make sure it's working. If you wait until the weather gets hot to find out your air conditioner isn't operating the way it should, it may be days before a technician is available to fix it. Scheduling an annual checkup with your Lennox dealer in early spring can also help you identify any small problems that could turn into large problems later.

Go green, save green

If you're planning to replace your air conditioner, look for an ENERGY STAR^® qualified model. Replacing an old, inefficient central air conditioner with a high-efficiency system can reduce cooling costs up to 20 percent*. If you use a room air conditioner, install it on a north-facing wall to keep it out of the sun. Room air conditioners work better when the unit stays cool.

*Source: www.energystar.gov