The weather warmed up earlier than regular last Spring. Both of us occasionally still have snow on the ground at Easter. This year, I was already running the a/c. The season was especially hot, dry and brutally humid. Both of us regularly saw un-even temperatures in the triple digits, and there was undoubtedly little breeze. The a/c ran just about always. My electric bills were much higher than normal. I wasn’t overly alarmed by the increase in utility costs because of the weather. I knew the a/c was carrying a bigger workload. I didn’t get sad until I noticed that our teenagers were frequently sneezing and complaining of headaches. My fiance mentioned that her dust sensitivity symptoms were especially bad. I might not have blamed the a/c however there was also a strange, musty smell coming from the vents. With the potential threat to indoor air quality, I immediately tied up service from a local Heating, Ventilation, and A/C supplier. The serviceman opened up the outdoor unit and showed myself and others the accumulation of debris inside. There was a significant buildup of dust and mold growth. There was algae flourishing in the condensate drain. The serviceman told myself and others that the contaminants were restricting airflow and forcing the a/c to cycle longer and use more energy. Plus, the harmful toxins were particularly becoming airborne and getting spread throughout the home. My family was breathing them in. Fortunately, a thorough cleaning fixed all of these troubles. The serviceman requested that I sign up for a repair idea that includes an annual inspection, cleaning and adjustment of the cooling system.