Bracing for the heat wave

TRENTON - June 6, 2008 What size do I need? Is it energy efficient?

These are the questions being asked in the aisles of the Lowes on Route 1 in West Windsor as customers begin the shopping blitz on fans and air conditioners expected over the weekend so they can keep their homes cool.

"I am praying my air conditioning lasts. I did get out some fans in reserve. I'm going to look for another fan to be sure," Martha Waters of West Windsor said.

Air conditioning technicians are busy today in attics, basements, and crawl spaces servicing cooling units that haven't run since last summer.

The best advice from the experts?

"You always want a clean filter. If your filter is dirty it blocks all your airflow and if your air cannot flow through your unit it's not going to work," technician Ray Hardy said.

Anticipating what will happen when the thermometer spikes, Elite Air, a heating and cooling company in Hamilton, has tripled the manpower this weekend to handle emergency calls.

"People will wait until the last minute, turn it on, find out it doesn't work, panic and call," Joe Wear of Elite Air Inc. said.

Pat Hrywniak says she'll stay out of the sun when things start cooking, but her husband John has other ideas.

"Pair of shorts and down the river. There's always air off that water. As long as there's a little breeze blowing, you're cool," John Hrywniak of Hamilton Township said.