MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - Dangerous heat over the last week has claimed its third victim in Shelby County. A 62-year old woman was found dead last week in her home with the air conditioner off. The temperature inside the home climbed to 91 degrees.
Meanwhile, other Mid-Southerners have been running the air conditioner constantly to stay cool and it’s causing many units to break down. This means increase demand for A/C repairmen during this sizzling summer.
Hot afternoon temperatures and hot nights aren’t giving air conditioning units a break. Overnight lows have only been in the 70’s and 80’s, causing units to run almost constantly.
John Conway with Conway Services says, “We're running twice the number of calls right now that we would run normally.”
Service technicians say the call volume has increased from 3 to 4 house calls a day to 7 or 8 calls a day. Some unit meltdowns are because of the heat. Others are due to neglect.
“If units aren't maintained, it's going to break down on you,” says Conway.
Dirt and debris clogged in your outdoor unit can make an A/C work harder than it needs to, leading to a break down. Conway says you should have it fixed immediately to avoid heat-related illnesses due to excessive heat inside your home. Service technicians expect the high demand to continue into the first of September.
