CLEVELAND — With the potentially record setting highs this week, Andy Claypool with Advantage Air Heating & Cooling said HVAC systems are more likely to malfunction, not because of overheating, but due to lack of maintenance. 

“What we see is a lot of customers are not changing their air filter, being proactive and that kind of thing,” Claypool said.

Claypool said routine HVAC checks are key for being prepared. 

He said it should cost you anywhere from $80 to $120 per visit. 

“We’re going to check the capacitor, cooling capabilities, heating capabilities for furnace, blower wheels, blower motors and the cleanliness of the unit,” Claypool said.

He recommends spring for the air conditioner and fall for the furnace to make sure everything is running properly. 

“You know sometimes the outdoor unit sucks in grass and leaves and stuff and that needs taken apart and cleaned out, along with refrigerant levels, gas pressure, for furnaces and so on and so forth,” Claypool said.

There are things you can do yourself to make sure your unit is well maintained, like cleaning the outdoor unit. 

“You can take a water hose and hose it off when the units not running to get some of that debris out of it, also once again, the biggest thing is changing the air filter. A lot of customers think that if they change it once or twice a year that’s sufficient, most often you need to be doing it once a month,” Claypool said.

With the temperatures in the 90s, Claypool said patience is key.

“Whenever we see 95 degree weather or higher, lots of times your air conditioner will not keep up. The design temperature is between 90 to 95, so if we get 95 degree air, turn it on, let it run, you’re gonna see long run cycles, along with if you have a set point of about 70 degrees and you’re averaging about 71, 72, there’s probably nothing wrong with the equipment, it’s just really hot, you gotta be patient with the guy,” Claypool said.

FEMA said if you are without air conditioning or lose power, you should try to keep the heat out of your house by closing the curtains or installing reflectors, like cardboard covered in aluminum foil, to reflect the heat back outside. They also recommend moving to the basement or lowest floor of the building since heat rises.