Air conditioners, like other appliances, need to be maintained properly on a regular basis to ensure that they function correctly. Whether you rely on your AC unit year-round, or you reserve turning your air conditioner on for the exceptionally hot summer days, performing maintenance on your AC unit yearly is important for a few reasons:

1. Stay Ahead of the Hot Weather: If you use your air conditioner more selectively, and it is left unused for a while, then regular maintenance is helpful in keeping your unit ready for use when the warm weather finally arrives again.
   
   
2. Cost Effectiveness: Repairs can become frequent, and costly, when the AC unit is left unmaintained for too long. If maintenance or repairs aren't preformed properly or in time, then you face the risk of having to replace your air conditioner, which can be even more expensive. Proper maintenance ensures that your AC unit will function correctly for the entire duration of its life.
   
   
3. Follow Your Warranty Policy: Warranty policies can become void if you don't properly care for your air conditioner. To prevent this from happening, regular maintenance can help to ensure that you can receive full warranty coverage, should you need it.
   
   
4. Maintain Efficiency: Having yearly tune-ups performed ensures that your air conditioner will continue to work at maximum efficiency. Maintenance helps to keep the filters changed, dirt and debris out of the unit, and remove anything that may be causing clogs, among other factors.
   
   
5. Extend Your Unit's Life Span: With the right steps and actions taken, your air conditioner can continue to function for the full duration of its life span, and has the potential to last even beyond that.