HVAC specialists give tips about how one can maintain your AC operating throughout excessive warmth

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WKRG) — One thing you don’t want to happen during this heat wave is for your air conditioning to go out.

WKRG spoke with experts at Diamond Air Design in Pensacola and they said they’ve already had more than 150 service calls this month.

“It always increases. When it starts to get hot that’s when your systems get running longer. So you got longer run times the chances for things to break down, especially older equipment that’s when you see those start to struggle,” said Louis McVay, service manager at Diamond Air Design.

City holds ‘pop up’ event to get input on Pensacola’s Active Transportation Plan

One thing experts recommend, keeping your thermostat within four degrees of your ideal temperature at all times.

“If you go over four degrees, and your trying to cool that house back, and its built up a lot of heat over the day, you know the hot part of the day, then when you come home that thing is running even longer trying to get back to a comfortable temp,” explained McVay. “It’s better to keep it closer to a moderate temp as what’s comfortable to you, that way the systems turning on and turning off regularly, so it’s less bind on the equipment.”

McVay also recommended calling a technician before summer starts, so they can look for weak or outdated parts, saving you money in the long run.  

“The amount of energy it takes to run on old, worn-out parts, you can get that system back to somewhat new condition by changing those parts and that will definitely help in the long run,” said McVay.

They also recommend periodically rinsing your unit off and making sure you’re using the correct filters for your system.