JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Local heating companies were making hundreds of repair calls on Tuesday night because of the cold temperatures.
Action News Jax rode along with one company as it made house calls. One man faced a heating headache, as he was gearing up to spend Tuesday night trying to stay warm in a cold house.
When Joe Cercone got home from work, he knew something wasn't right with his heating unit.
"Came home and the heat wasn't working," Cercone said.
Cercone has lived in his Jacksonville Beach home for 26 years. He says the thermostat says it all, 65 degrees indoors and dropping, fast.
"Dippin,' keep an eye on that see how low it goes," Cercone said.
Patrick O'Berry, a technician with Snyder Heating and Air, told Cercone the problem is not his heating unit but an electrical one.
It was one of many problems for customers.
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"Haven't been home yet, been at it since about 7:30 this morning so it's been pretty busy today," O'Berry said.
Experts say the best thing you can do to keep your system in good shape and avoid an expensive bill is to change your air filter, which can cost as little as $5.
"Single best thing for your system; have unit maintenance like car. It's a machine that operates 80 percent of the day, it goes through up and downs with heating and cooling," said Tim Wood, operations manager for Snyder Heating and Air.
Cercone said he will have to hunker down as he spends a night without heat until he can get an electrician to come by Wednesday morning.
"I got some friends I can stay with, which I will probably do," Cercone said.
Snyder Heating and Air said they made close to 70 repair calls today, about triple their average this time of year.
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