Already Dallas-Fort Worth has experienced 40 days of triple digit temperatures this year — a number weather experts say is unusually high compared to previous ones recorded for late August.
And the blasting heat is even more unbearable for many Fort Worth residents when a cooling system fails to perform its only job.
Air conditioning repair services are seeing an uptick in AC unit issues caused by the relentless heat, and business may not slow down for the next couple of months. This year now sits in the top 10 summers with the most 100-plus degree days, but weather forecasts show the ranking may move up to the Top 5.
“It’s possible that we will continue climbing those top 10 records pretty quickly,” said Monique Sellers, a meteorologist at National Weather Service in Fort Worth. “The forecast for the next seven days does have 100 or higher for the DFW area.”
In Fort Worth, temperatures for the upcoming week are predicted to reach between 101 and 108 degrees each day.
The heat leaves businesses in the area running around to meet repair demands.
“There’s been a very high influx this summer than there was previously,” said Shalee Culbertson, an appointment scheduler for Airmasters AC, Heat, Plumbing and Electrical in Fort Worth.
The most common issue requiring service are overheated AC units, she said. She also hears from customers with AC units that have stopped cooling and need parts replaced.
The heat and humidity are also causing clogs in drain lines for indoor cooling systems, Culbertson said. Build up of contaminants like mold, dirt and algae in the lines are preventing the AC unit from cooling homes quickly or efficiently.
All AC service issues are likely to persist as long as temperatures stay high.
“We’re not really getting out of this pattern of these hot days,” Sellers said. “We’re not seeing any big counter changes or any signal that we’re going to see some lower temperatures.”
The current record for most days with temperatures in the triple digits is 71 days in 2011. If the weather is consistent with the forecast, this year will be in the Top 5.
Though August is typically one of the hottest months, already having 40 days of 100-degree weather at this time of year is not consistent with past years, Sellers said.
“We’re not normally seeing this many in a row,” she said. “This is one of our hotter years.”
How to keep your AC running smoothly
Proper maintenance of AC units can prevent problems from occurring in the summer.
Here’s what technicians recommend:
- Check air filters every month and replace as needed
- Clean the condenser coils
- Spray down the outside AC unit with water to prevent overheating
While the heat is an uncontrollable factor in the damage to cooling systems, technicians advise residents to take preventative measures to avoid an unbearable summer.
“Change your filter,” said Nicholas Rozier, a repair technician at Prestige Air in Fort Worth. “If homeowners clean the unit and change the filter, that’s about as far as they can do before anything is done by a professional.”
Rozier, who used to be a firefighter and has worked in an emergency room, compared AC units to the human body because different parts work together and depend on each other to function.
Taking care of one simple part can help the entire unit endure running for long periods of time during summer months, he said.
“It breathes, it has a circulatory system and neurological system,” Rozier said. “If the filter isn’t good, it affects the other systems because it can’t breathe.”
With the extreme heat predicted to continue through September, proper maintenance may be the key to keeping homes cool and comfortable.
Sara Honda is the audience engagement and social media fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at sara.honda@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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