It’s easier to notice the indoor components of your HVAC unit.
You’ve got that component tucked away in the closet.
You’ve got all the vents and intakes in the air ducts going throughout your home. You’ve got the air filter and you’ve got the thermostat on the wall. All of these different parts are crucial for an HVAC system to function correctly. However, you should not ignore the outdoor components of an HVAC system. The outdoor component is usually the condenser unit, that big box outside with the fan. It may be out in the elements, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s built to be impervious to them. It can get dirty and clogged and that will decrease its performance or outright break it in the end. Take notice of the condition of your outdoor unit as often as you can. Make sure that dust and dirt isn’t building on it. If the unit is caked with dirt, then the evaporator coils will not function properly, which will cause your home to take longer to cool down and use more energy to do so as well. You also want to make sure that there is no debris falling into the unit. Do you have trees that hang over the outdoor condenser unit? It’s actually good for the outdoor unit to be shaded from the sun, but you should be careful about trees dropping leaves, berries, or sticks into the unit. You should pay particular attention once you’ve done a bunch of yard work. You don’t want all that grass and debris to end up clogging or crowding the unit.