SARASOTA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay area was under a heat advisory for portions of Wednesday after temperatures in several areas reached the mid-90s.
Meteorologists with 10 Tampa Bay said heat index values were as high as 110. They expect temperatures for the rest of this week to rise as we head into the weekend.
While many are dealing with the heat outdoors, others are hoping to escape and find cool shelter indoors. But with this heat, the air conditioning system in many homes will be working on overdrive this week.
"We are in this together. It's hot out for everybody," Mike Hoelle with Arctic Air Home Services said. "We're getting tons of 'no cool', 'my system would not keep temperature' because a lot of people right now are just looking for relief from all this heat."
While it may be tempting to alter that thermostat, Hoelle said doing that could cause more damage by putting pressure on a home's HVAC systems.
"If you are used to 78°F in your house, it'll be wiser to keep the 78 than if you're someone who wants to be at 72. At 72°F the system is just going to constantly run all day long," he said.
Indoor Climate regulation experts highly recommend servicing your HVAC system regularly. They say you can also clear drain lines and change filters yourself where possible to help prolong the life of the system.
"People who have kept up on their system this season are far more successful," Hoelle said. "The last thing you want to do is be trapped in a situation where your system is down at your house and you end up with costly expenses when we come out for repairs."
Experts also say if you see or hear anything unusual or alarming with your HVAC system, even if it's still cooling, get it checked out right away so it can last throughout the summer.