JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The First Alert Weather Team says a heat advisory has been issued for most of North Florida and South Georgia, with feels-like temperatures nearing 110 degrees.
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue says that in June, they responded to 151 heat-related calls. Of those calls, 65 were transported to local hospitals.
Synder Air Conditioning says that since the rise in temperatures, they’ve been averaging roughly 150 service calls per day.
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“Here over the last week, we’ve seen about a 50% increase in our call volume,” said Kendall Yarbro, Director of Operations. “The high temperatures are one component, but really the low temperatures — when the low temperatures are starting to push 80 degrees, that’s really when the units are running nonstop.”
Yarbro says living close to the coast also contributes to the increase.
“The amount of salt content in the air definitely will lead to more frequent breakdowns,” Yarbro said. “It causes a more rapid deterioration of the exterior units.”
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The biggest piece of advice Yarbro offers is to make sure you’re getting routine maintenance done roughly twice a year, preferably when temperatures are cooler. More specifically, he recommends making sure the coils on the outside unit are clean so it can release heat, and making sure the filters and coils on the inside unit are cleaned so it can achieve good heat transfer.
But if you missed the mark, Yarbro says to try to make your inside temperatures more reasonable.
“Typically, an air conditioner is going to be able to maintain a 20-degree difference from the outdoor temperature,” Yarbro said. “So, if you like a 70-degree house, as soon as it gets over 90 degrees, it’s going to run longer [and] it’s going to struggle a little bit.”
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The city of Jacksonville says to stay cool, avoid peak heat hours — typically between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., stay hydrated and stay informed.
For more information on where you can find cooling centers, how heat can interact with different medications and other useful tips, visit Jaxready.com/StayCoolJax.
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