The short answer
Service your air conditioner twice a year: once in March before summer begins, and once in September after the monsoon. Homes in dusty areas, ground-floor flats near roads and commercial spaces should add a third visit around June.
Why servicing matters more than you think
A dust-loaded filter forces the compressor to work harder for the same cooling. That extra load shows up as a higher electricity bill long before it shows up as a breakdown. A properly serviced unit can cut consumption by up to a quarter and stretch compressor life by years.
Signs you should not wait for the next schedule
Book earlier if you notice weak airflow, water dripping from the indoor unit, a musty smell when the AC starts, ice forming on the copper pipe, or the unit running continuously without reaching the set temperature.
What a proper service should include
Insist on jet-pump cleaning of the indoor coil and blower, outdoor condenser fin cleaning, drain line flushing, gas pressure verification and an electrical safety check. If a technician finishes in fifteen minutes, that was a filter wipe, not a service.