THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 28, 1995 TAG: 9507260137
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUSAN W. SMITH, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
It's hot.
How hot is it?
``It's so hot our technicians are working over 60 hours a week to service all our air-conditioning complaint calls,'' said Danielle Styron, of R.A. Styron Heat and Air Conditioning Co. ``The technicians check out in the mornings with twice as many calls on their schedules as they did in June.''
Styron explained that with normal summertime temperatures that range in the 80s or low 90s, a service technician makes about eight repair calls a day. During this July's excessive heat and high humidity, the repairmen are making more than 15 calls a day.
Larry Tomlin, the service manager for Smith & Keene Electric Service, said the company's 10 technicians are servicing twice as many calls as they did in June.
Most new homes in this area are bought and sold with an HW-10 Mid-Atlantic Insurance Warranty. It is a 10-year home warranty guarantee sponsored by the Tidewater Builder's Association. According to the warranty manual, loss of heat is a 24-hour emergency, but loss of air conditioning is not considered an emergency situation.
``But just try explaining the warranty to an irate customer who has just come home from work and it's hotter in their den than on their deck,'' said Styron. ``People are much more irritable when they are hot, and they demand immediate relief. We work as quickly as possible to get everyone scheduled.''
Styron said he hears all kinds of reasons why a customer needs service right away. Most of the time they have elderly relatives or young children or pets who can't take the heat. The most unusual request that Styron has received this season was from an upset woman who had several musical instruments that needed to be kept cool.
``The simplest problem is that the refrigerant - the cooling agent for the circulating air - is low,'' said Styron. ``The unit or compressor is working, but homeowners complain that the air is not cool enough and, therefore, their home is not as cool as they would like. The most expensive problem for the homeowner is when the compressor has died and the entire unit has to be replaced.''
According to Styron, it is normal for a typical household compressor to keep the inside 20 degrees cooler than the outside temperature. If it is 100 degrees with the humidity factor, an inside temperature of 80 degrees is within cooling range.
Styron and Tomlin passed along several tips to get maximum air conditioning efficiency and to help stay a few degrees cooler.
``Change air filters frequently. A dirty filter creates more work for the compressor as it strains to emit the cool air through the clogged filter. Besides a $1.50 filter can help prevent a part failure from so much strain,'' said Styron.
Tomlin and Styron advised homeowners to close shades and blinds to morning or afternoon sun because the rays or glare can raise the temperature in a room several degrees.
He suggested that laundry, dishwashers and showers be done early in the morning. Most air handlers must remove the humidity from the air before they start cooling.
Both Tomlin and Styron recommended setting thermostats at 78 degrees to stabilize the working of the unit. It's more work for the unit when the thermostat setting is changed frequently. Tomlin said that frequently moving the thermostat would be reflected in a higher electric bill.
``Also keep shrubs and items several feet away from the outdoor unit so that air flow around the unit is not hindered.'' said Styron.
The life span of a compressor is between 10 to 12 years old. They recommend a once-a-year maintenance check-up, especially for older units, so that a small problem could be corrected before it becomes an expensive or major repair.
``And always test the system in May or June before the beginning of hot weather. It only takes about 30 minutes to determine if the system is working,'' said Tomlin. ``At least once a day even in this hot weather, we get a call from someone who has just turned on the air for the first time and discovered it's not working.'' by CNB