108 degree weather is taking a toll on Tulsans and air conditioning units.
"I had 87 service calls yesterday," said Owner of Wortman Central Air Conditioning Co., Robert Enochs. "Most of those service calls were from people who had blown capacitors, blown compressors, blown fan motors and all of it was caused by over temperature."
Enochs said in many cases, the equipment is up to speed and working but an air conditioning unit can only do so much in the extreme heat. "It just can't do more than it is doing in this heat, it's not designed to, its not designed to cool in 110 degrees."
Blake Boswell told FOX23 he feels like he is in a losing battle with his air conditioning unit. Blake said he and his wife run the A.C. around the clock but it doesn't seem to help. "We can't keep up and we can't keep it cool in here," said Blake.
Enoch explained the Boswells predicament. Most air conditioners are designed to cool when its a maximum of 99 degrees outside, 75 degree indoor temperature and fifty percent humidity. Enoch said most units operate better than that but Tulsa's outdoor temperatures far exceed the design standard.
"The high heat won't last long, it's only a portion of the day," Enoch advises raising the thermostat temperature setting as high as your comfort level allows to save money and undo strain on your equipment. He says an oscillating fan is great option to create air movement during the day and lower the thermostat as the evening progresses to cool the house down.
A good rule of thumb to make sure the unit is working efficiently as possible is to have is serviced in the spring and frequently clean or replace the filters.
