Heating and cooling services in North Texas struggle to keep up with demand

FORT WORTH -- It's one of the worst things to go out in this heat – your A/C. But there are ways you can keep your A/C in tip-top shape.

On scorching days like these, Zane Larman, a technician with Milestone Electric A/C and Plumbing, braces himself for a long and busy day ahead.

"I keep my phone next to my bed in case I get a call," Larman said.

Larman has been an HVAC technician for about three summers now -- and these days are like the Super Bowl for people in the AC business. They get a lot of emergency calls; at least 35 today alone.

"It's so humid here in Dallas, so I see a whole lot of humidity, condensation, drying issues, then of course not cooling at all issues," Larman said. "Most people are not happy to be hot, so they're happy to see me."

At one home, Larman starts by checking their system's filter.

"Hmm, that one needs to be changed," Larman said, looking at a dusty filter.

He recommends you change yours once a month.

Next, he heads outside to check on the condenser.

"All that debris, all that stuff, that's like having a dirty filter that restricts that airflow," Larman said.

That means it's time to get the hose.

"When you try this at home, be really careful not to bend these fins. See how a couple of them are bent over? That's gonna do the opposite of what we want," Larman said.

The experts at Milestone suggest keeping your A/C at about 75 degrees on 100-plus degree days like this; and more importantly, listening to your A/C before it's too late.

"The big thing is if it's running 24 hours a day, that's very hard on a piece of equipment, and we're talking it's a matter of time before it breaks," Larman said "The other big thing for me is if the A/C is loud. Quiet A/C generally means that it's working well. The louder it is, you hear motors spinning, all that sorts of stuff, that's generally an indication that the A/C is struggling."