Texas summers come with temperatures reaching above 100 degrees Fahrenheit regularly, leaving most Texans vulnerable to heat-related illness or worse without a functional air conditioning system.

Eddy Plummer, owner of Bastrop-based Capital Air Conditioning & Heating, offered tips to help homeowners keep their heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems working properly.

How often should an HVAC system be serviced?

Yearly. It’s best to do it in early spring before it gets hot, so around March is a good time. You definitely don’t want to wait until the heat of the summer.

What mistakes do you commonly see homeowners make?

Not keeping the area around their units clear of debris. I’ve seen a lot of clogged coils from grass clippings, especially. It clogs up the unit, keeps it from working properly and shortens its lifespan.

Are there any trends you’ve seen homeowners trying that they should think twice about?

I’ve replaced so many compressors in the last year because people are putting covers on their outside units—apparently, it was all over TikTok last year, and people were getting tents and things to put over them. Don’t do that. The units are designed to sit in direct sunlight with air flowing around them, and if you put a cover over them and impede that airflow, it will drastically shorten the life of it.

Do you have any advice for those with pets or allergies?

Change your filters often, but don’t get the thick, high-MERV [Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value] rating filters because they can restrict airflow and cause the blower motors to go out prematurely. I always recommend changing the filter once a month—when you pay your rent or mortgage is a good way to remember when it’s time.

Do you have any money-saving tips when it comes to cooling a home?

Maintain a constant temperature in your house. Turning it up to 78-80 degrees during the day when you’re at work, or even turning it off, leads to spending more money on electricity than people who keep their house at a constant temperature. Turning it up or off during the day makes your AC run harder for an extended amount of time. If you keep it at a constant temperature, it just turns on here and there to keep it constant. It’s like being in stop-and-go traffic versus using your cruise control.