JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As the temperatures dip, your heating bills may rise -- and that may not be the only issue.
With low temperatures in the 30s this week, some heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) units aren’t ready for the extra work. Or maybe your unit has been off for months and you just discovered it doesn’t work.
When Marshannon Lewis turned on her heat Monday, she didn’t like what she heard.
“It was making some noises and I was a little nervous," she said.
As temperatures dipped, the new homeowner decided to get help.
“I could not run my heater and I was freezing," Lewis said.
She was one of the dozens of calls that techs at Bold City Heating and Air received Tuesday.
“We got 75 calls just this morning from 7 o’clock to 9 o’clock,” said Mirza Pilakovic, owner of Bold City Heating and Air.
Pilakovic said HVAC experts are working around the clock to keep up with the demand, which is heating up because there hasn’t been a cold snap in a long time.
“The past couple months, it has been so mild that they didn’t need either one," he said. “And a lot of times people forget to do their maintenance between the cooling and the heating season.”
Loud noises are OK for a bit, as it could be your unit defrosting. But if your house doesn’t heat up, you’ll need some help.
Pilakovic shared some ways people can save money.
“Checking their air filters, making sure that filter is clean, making sure their thermostat is programmed correctly and making sure that they’re up to maintenance in their system,” Pilakovic said.
That ideal temperature setting should be around 68 to 70 degrees. That’s the best way to heat your home while keeping your bills down.