GLASTONBURY, Conn. — The official start of summer was accompanied by the hottest day of this week's heat wave in Connecticut, which was less than ideal for those managing air conditioning issues.
With a high volume of home air conditioning installations, comes quite a few repair calls.
Salvatore Marino, owner of SM Mechanical Services in Glastonbury described the past few days as chaos.
“It’s morning ‘til night, it’s pretty much around the clock,” said Marino.
Nearing triple digit temperatures doesn’t exactly bode well for dealing with faulty equipment.
Marino said, “With this temperature, within four to five hours your indoor temperature can be just as hot as outdoors.”
He added that many problems with air conditioning units stem from improper maintenance.
“I always like to tell customers, be proactive. Get out there in early spring and maintain your equipment," Marino said. "Change your filters regularly. Set your temperature at your desired set point and try not to manipulate the thermostat that often.”
Extreme heat also tends to challenge air conditioning units, as they’re only designed to keep temperatures inside about 20 degrees cooler than outside. If one runs into issues with an AC, Marino recommends taking a few steps before calling in a professional. These include changing the filter, checking the vents and washing the part of the unit that is outside the window.
Wanda Rodriguez of Hartford said she hadn’t really thought about her air conditioner since last summer. When she went to plug it in at the start of the heat wave, there were some issues.
“The one in the living room was like bringing hot air inside of my house,” said Rodriguez. “I was exhausted, it was really, really hot and I live on the second floor.”
Rodriguez was able to get a new, functioning unit from her brother-in-law, one she’s confident will last throughout the summer.
“I hope so, crossing my fingers,” said Rodriguez.
Professionals like those at SM Mechanical Services encourage calling in for help if problems with air conditioning persist, to prevent any potential further damage to the unit.
RELATED: Heat island effect impacts inland New Haven, neighbors on shoreline rely on water to keep cool
Kaelee Collins is a multimedia journalist for FOX61 News. She can be reached at kcollins@fox61.com. Follow her on X, and Instagram.
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com.
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.