How AEP and HVAC companies are operating in the heat

ROANOKE, Va. ( WFXR ) – When the weather gets super hot outside, most people want to escape the heat and stay in a nice, cool, air-conditioned building. Whether that’s their home or somewhere in public, the air-conditioning unit will likely run for most of the day.

However, if the power goes out, the air-conditioner is useless.

Local power companies will schedule routine maintenance, which involves shutting off their customers’ power. Appalachian Power will often leave a voicemail to residents giving them a heads up. Still, people hate it when they don’t have power.

“Our priority, our main job, is to keep the power on, and certainly we hear from customers when the power is out for a short time or a storm rolls through,” Teresa Hall , the spokesperson for Appalachian Power, said. “That’s expected because our customers want the power to be on, and we want to be as reliable as possible.”

Appalachian Power knows it’s an inconvenience when their customers have no power. They usually try to schedule them around a time when residents won’t be greatly affected.

On days when the temperature reaches 90 degrees or above, Appalachian Power will postpone any scheduled maintenance for that day.

“The safety of our customers and our employees is our top priority,” Hall said. “With regard to scheduled work on our facilities, when the temperature is 90 degrees or above, we are postponing that work at this time.”

When the power is on, it is important for owners of HVAC units to keep them in top shape.

A natural instinct is to keep the temperature of your home low and running for most of the day, but that isn’t the best for your machines.

“Our air-conditioning units in our area are not designed for this kind of heat,” said Mark Flanary , the general manager of Bower Heat & Air Conditioning. “Most of our systems are designed to maintain 75 degrees on a low 90-degree day, so when the temperature gets up as hot as the mid-90s and upper-90s, the unit is going to struggle and run a lot.”

In order to keep your HVAC system running, certain measures like keeping the air filters clean, closing your shades or blinds on the sunny side of your home, and pre-cooling your home in the morning can help prevent the air-conditioner from overworking.

It’s also recommended to schedule an annual maintenance check on your system. Most companies will have a phone number on their website for customers to call and schedule an appointment.

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