A warm weekend lies ahead, and air conditioning units will be working full force.
Dave Osborn, president of Trouble Free Heating Cooling and Plumbing, said there are two parts to air conditioning.
“One is getting the humidity out and the moisture, and then dropping the temperature,” Osborn said.
A tip for keeping a house cool is to close the shades.
“Making sure your shades are pulled, if you’ve got crawl spaces and things you will want to make sure there is an ample flow of air through there. Dehumidifiers in the basement help getting that humidity out,” Osborn said.
Also, Osborn said to make sure to check the filter in the furnace.
“You’ve got to keep that filter clean,” Osborn said.
Osborn said to also check the outside air conditioning unit.
“If there’s a blanket of cottonwood on it,” Osborn said. “Just take a water hose and wash that stuff off. You can’t get it as clean as a professional cleaning it from the inside out, but it definitely will help”.
Roof color can also help with cooling a house. The a darker roof is on a house, that can have an effect on keeping the house cool on those hot summer days.
“If you put a lighter shade roof on then it’ll repel the sun,” Osborn said. “Where a black roof will absorb the heat and cause your attic and things to be hotter”.
In the event that an air conditioning unit stops working, Osborn said the first step is to check the fuse or breaker, if you are comfortable with checking them.
If the fuse or breaker is not tripped, then the next step would be to call the professionals.
However, with the heat not hitting the area until July due to a rainy June, companies are playing catch up with regular checks.
“We have not been able to get out and do all the maintenance and everything because of the weather this year. Much like everyone planting corn and everything else, they’re way behind this year,” Osborn said.
When calling a company to come look at an air conditioning unit, Osborn said to be patient.
“We’ll get to everybody as soon as we can. That’s not usually very long, but we obviously prioritize people with health issues and those types of things,” Osborn said. “Keep fans going if somebody can’t get to you in a day or so. And, drink plently of cold water”.
