BILLINGS — Montanans know September to be warm, but triple-digit temperatures stretching into late summer are unusual and taxing on central air systems. Local HVAC contractors are still fielding calls to repair AC systems, but preparing themselves for a 40+ degree temperature swing that will have them responding to furnace repairs within a two-day time period.
"What we're going to see this week is we're going to see the air conditioning calls today and by Friday morning we're probably going to see people calling for no heat, they need heat, they're starting their furnaces up for the first time," says Curt White, owner of White Heating & Cooling, on Wednesday.
White says it's not unusual to still be fixing AC units at this point in the summer, but what is rare is expecting furnace use to start a few days after 105 heat.
"We definitely watch the weather pretty hard here. It affects the business quite a bit," White said.
White says preserving your heating and cooling system all comes down to changing filters and regular maintenance.
"Make sure you're furnace filter is clean and if you haven't had any maintenance done on it, it would be a good idea to get your furnace checked out, get a tune up done on it," White said.
"Air conditioning is just about over and heating will be starting here in just a few days," White said.
