June 13, 2005

With steamy temperatures like those we've had recently, almost everyone is relying on their air conditioners to keep them cool. Here are a few tips to help keep your A/C pumping out cold air all season long. Most people can agree that a broken air conditioner is no fun.

"It's been real hot, as you see being in here, there's very little airflow, we have fans running in the front of the house," said Kathy Terribile.

Terribile works from her home and spent an entire week searching for an HVAC company to repair her AC. The response she got was frustrating.

"They just said they had a back log and they could put our name on a
waiting list, but they couldn't get out until the next several days," she said.

Terribile finally caught up with Fitch Services who fixed the problem. The owner there says having a backlog of customers isn't uncommon when temperatures soar.

"They have a circuit that's not turned on, they have an air filter that hasn't been changed and the air won't blow through the duck system properly, or their low on refrigerant," said John Fitch, Owner of Fitch Services.

But with a little preventative care, such as purchasing a service agreement, customers can avoid having to rely on a fan.

"The technician will come check the air conditioning in the spring and in the fall the heating, and check its operation and identify any subtle problems," said Fitch.

Other basic tips include double checking the circuit breakers to make sure they’re on. Fitch also recommends people change their air filter, which can vary from a month to even a year depending on the home. And people should also report problems as soon as they occur, to keep from paying extra costs.

These are just a few tips to keep your home a cool one.