AC units can't keep up with heat - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

With the extreme heat, odds are your air conditioner is working overtime. So are the crews working to keep the cooling units humming through the heat of summer.

Fishers resident Rodney Nichols can't escape the heat. Since Monday, the indoor temperature in his house has been above 80 degrees.

"I kept trying to tell my wife it was cool, but she said it wasn't," said Nichols.

The sun won't give Indiana residents a break, and that extra heat is keeping cooling companies busy.

Nichols admits he knew it was just a matter of time until his air-conditioning unit had issues: "I kept seeing all the air conditioning trucks in my neighborhood driving around and then faith hit us."

Technician Johnnie Firari says Indiana are residents need to mindful of their over-working A/C units: "Keep in mind an average mid day in the 80s, your system will work 4 hours a day. On a day like today, in the 90s, it works 7-8 hours all day."

The technician says even though you can't beat the heat, there are simple things to do to keep your system cool. 

The Dial One Hour technician suggests keeping the thermostat between a 2-4 degree range. He says it is more efficient than when you turn it off; "When you come home, the system has to work twice as hard."

Firari also says, "It's all about the air filter." The technician reminds us that if you have a washable air filter, you need to clean it every month. If you have a removable filter, you need to change it every 30 days as well.

For Rodney Nichols, he's out a capacitor, which is a common fix when the heat is this high. It is also important to schedule a check-up on your A/C unit every spring or early summer because adding refrigerate is a lot cheaper than replacing an entire A/C unit.

As always, use a professional when you are paying for service work at your home.

See tips for maintaining your A/C unit.