San Diegans endure extreme heat as AC technicians respond to increase in calls

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – As the temperatures climbed Tuesday, people across San Diego did what they could to beat the heat.

For some, it meant staying indoors and cranking up the air conditioning.

Dale and Margie Stuber have lived in their University City home for 54 years, and Dale said he takes pride in being a bit of a handyman and staying on top of maintenance.

"Start up the car; I know how it's going to sound, and if it doesn't sound that way, there is something that needs attention. Air conditioning unit, same thing," said Dale.

With most of the San Diego region under an excessive heat warning, the Stubers did not want to take any chances with their AC breaking down.

"I don't mind if it isn't above 90, but once it gets above 90, it's more comfortable to just stay inside with the air conditioning running," said Dale.

Jonathan Murphey, the operations manager for One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning, was busy on a very hot Tuesday. The company just opened its first San Diego location.

"This week has been a lot of fun. You get a lot of different calls. A lot of no cools, and then what I really like about my job is I'm kind of a detective. I show up at someone's house, and then I get to find out what's wrong with their system," said Murphey.

The Stubers’ system is running smoothly. Even though it's 15 years old, they only use it a few months a year.

They change the filters every three months, get annual tune-ups, and keep the coils on the condenser clean.

Murphey said one of the most common calls he gets is actually an easy fix.

"One of the things I recommend the most is to make sure your breakers are not tripped, because a lot of the time, if a system is running for the first time or if it's a really hot day and a lot of things are on it'll cause the breaker to trip, and that's an easy fix the homeowner can do on their own," said Murphey.

Murphey said another way to stay cool, but save money, is by installing a whole house fan.

"Rather than running your system trying to cool the air in the home, you can turn on the fan. It evacuates the air from the home, bringing the temperature down and not having to use the AC," said Murphey.

There are other ways to keep energy bills from skyrocketing.

"The best way to save on electricity is to make sure you have good window coverings in the home. If you have the capability to look at the insulation in your home as well. One of the biggest things I see is where you'll look at a home, you'll look in the attic, and they have little to no insulation in their attic. As you know, the heat will just come in and permeate the home," said Murphey.

The Stubers will be glad when this heat wave is over so they can return to walking and doing yard work.

"I don't care for it. I prefer autumn-type weather -- cool and crisp," said Margie.