On a warm summer afternoon, air conditioners can, literally, be lifesavers! I know of people who don't mind dashing across the street just to make it into an air-conditioned room quickly. Staying cool is one thing - but let us remind you that staying safe and healthy is more important. Air conditioners have a role to play in this respect, because air conditioners not only bring the room temperature down, but they also filter outside air as they enter the home. A good air conditioning unit will have a top quality, lasting and smart air filtering system that ensures that only clean air gets into the room.

What you're looking for is an air conditioning unit that has a built-in air cleaner in it. In fact, the normal, conventional air conditioning unit cannot filter out everything well enough for your whole family. If you're someone who cares about the long-term effects of breathing in dust particles, fumes, and smoke from the outside INSIDE your own home, then it'd be best if you invest in a high quality air conditioning unit that comes with an air cleaner.

A good air conditioner in the home or office is even more important if you or a family member has allergies or chronic breathing difficulties. Apart from having a good air conditioner, you should also open the doors and windows once in a while to let contaminated air out of the place. On top of that, pay special attention to your housekeeping habits.

To maximize the lifespan of the air conditioner and ensure that the air filtration system is in top form, you'll need to regularly maintain and upkeep the air conditioner. Don't wait for the air conditioner to break down or when you sense that there's a dip in air quality inside the house to clean and maintain the air conditioner. Experts in the air conditioning field recommends that you change the filter to your air conditioner every month - some people, don't be surprised, change their air conditioner filters only once every few years.

Changing and cleaning the filter of your air conditioner helps ensure that the air conditioner can continue to filter out the bad air from outside and deliver only the cleanest air possible into your home. Bottom line is...if you want clean air in your home, you've got to change and clean the air conditioner filter regularly. A badly maintained filter not only cleans air ineffectively, it also consumed more energy, cools the air down poorly and shortens the life of the air conditioner.

About the author:Dakota Caudilla, journalist, and website builder Dakota Caudilla lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of http://www.clean-air-quality.info on which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.