ST. LOUIS — St. Louis-area residents should brace themselves for another round of hot temperatures this week. Health officials and experts have urged being mindful of the dangers of heat no matter if you are indoors or outdoors.
Meanwhile, cooling agencies and companies have been working around the clock to address the uptick in inquiries from residents desperate to keep cool.
Gentry Trotter, the founder of Cool Down St. Louis, walked through a north St. Louis neighborhood on Sunday shaped by lived-in and unoccupied brick homes.
"In the city or county or even in St. Charles or in Illinois, the old brick homes bake like ovens," he said.
Trotter stressed that with that old charm comes responsibility during the summer.
"We want to make sure that they got air in them. If they have air or utilities in them, they are fine. Otherwise, they are death hills," he continued.
For years, Cool Down St. Louis has worked to combat the issues that residents face during scorching temperatures. His organization assists with utility bills and provides free air conditioning units to the elderly and disabled.
Trotter added that it is important to do prevention work yourself if and when you are able.
"We're telling people maintenance is first before you think you have a problem with your air conditioner or your HVAC system, make sure you check on your filter."
HVAC technician Toby Burk with Academy Air spent the hot Sunday working on a leak at a home in south St. Louis.
"He's (the client) had a few other guys out here and has told us that it's losing refrigerant … As we can see, the evaporator coil is frozen. I got the fan running right now to thaw it out, but next, we need to check where it's leaking from," Burk said.
The owner of the cooling company said they had seen an increase in calls as residents noticed their cold air was being interrupted.
The technician recommended that If a resident stumbles upon a frozen joint, and is having trouble finding the leak, they can use a micro gas leak detector to find the source.
As part of the process outside the house, residents should hose air conditioners off down to give them a clean.
"One of the most useful things you can do for your air conditioner is to wash it out. That helps. Also changing those filters every one to three months is great for these units," Burk said.
Here are other tips the cooling company shared with clients:
- Check your thermostat: Set it to cool and below your desired temperature. Switch the fan setting from "on" to "auto" to prevent bringing in outside humidity.
- Know your AC's capabilities: During extreme heat, your AC can typically cool your home from 15 to 25 degrees below the outside temperature.
- Check your circuit breakers: Ensure the breakers in your panel box are in the "on" position. Most of all with this heat, experts stressed that residents be mindful of their own and others' health. If you show symptoms of heat stroke, like a body temperature of 103 or higher, loss of consciousness, call 911.
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