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ATLANTA — As the heat continues to break records, people living across metro Atlanta are doing all they can to stay cool.

“As far as our call volume- I’ve never seen it this busy,” Tom Mutz said, the Service Manager at Moncrief Heating and Air Conditioning. Mutz said service calls have skyrocketed over the last three days.

"Mostly that their systems are not catching up,” Mutz said. 

He said that it could take up to five days to schedule someone to come out.

To avoid getting stuck waiting, you can take steps to help your AC unit run efficiently during this heat wave by keeping your blinds and doors closed during the day and changing your filter.

“The system has to breathe," Mutz said. 

Also check the AC condenser outside your house. Mutz said you need to make sure you have at least 2 feet of clearance on all sides, so don’t enclose it and trim any bushes nearby.

And to help cool your home when it gets sweltering - power it off and take a hose to clean it off- spraying all around to remove dirt and debris.

When you leave your house to work or head out of town, Mutz said a good rule of thumb is crank up your AC 4 degrees higher than your base temperature. So if you usually keep it at 72 degrees, set it at 76 degrees until you get home.

And never turn it off altogether when you leave, or you could have moisture issues when you return since when it’s running, it is working as a dehumidifier.

Finally, Mutz said it’s essential to know most home units can only cool a home 20 degrees lower than the outside air.

"You may have unrealistic expectations if you're trying to get to 68 degrees when it's 98 degrees outside,” Mutz said.

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