Happy 4th!

We wish everyone a safe and happy Independence Day!

The Fourth is one of the best days of the year around here — and, from where we sit, one of the hardest days of the year on an air conditioner. A few thoughts on both.

Why the Fourth is peak load

Independence Day usually lands in the hottest stretch of a Southeast Missouri summer, and it combines everything that makes a house hard to cool:

• Peak outdoor temperature and humidity
• A house full of people, each adding heat
• Doors opening constantly as everyone moves between inside and out
• An oven or stove running for the cookout
• Afternoon sun on every west-facing window

Your air conditioner was sized for a typical load, not a holiday one. It may run continuously through the afternoon and still sit a degree or two above setpoint. That alone is not a fault — it is a system doing its best against an unusual load.

Helping it out today

• Set the thermostat early. Get the house down before guests arrive. Recovering from a warm house on a hot afternoon is much harder than holding a cool one.
• Do not crank it lower than you want. The system cools at one rate regardless of setpoint; a lower number just means it runs longer.
• Close blinds on the sunny side during the afternoon.
• Cook outside if you can. The grill keeps that heat out of the house entirely.
• Run ceiling fans where people are, and use the range hood while cooking.
• Check the filter before the guests arrive. It takes two minutes and is the most common cause of a system that suddenly cannot keep up.

A few safety notes worth repeating

If you are setting off fireworks, keep them well away from the outdoor unit. Debris in the condenser fins restricts airflow, and the fins themselves are thin aluminum that damages easily.

Keep grills clear of the house and away from the AC unit as well — the condenser needs unobstructed airflow, and it does not want a heat source next to it.

And in heat like this, watch out for each other. Heat illness comes on faster than people expect, especially for older adults, small children, and anyone working outdoors. Water, shade, and breaks.

If something goes wrong today

A system that quits with a house full of guests on a 95-degree day is exactly the sort of thing we keep emergency service for. Holidays included.

Call (573) 785-6768. Our NATE and EPA certified technicians serve Poplar Bluff and the surrounding Southeast Missouri and Northeast Arkansas area, and we have been doing it since 1951.

Have a safe and happy Fourth from all of us at Buffington Brothers.