Should I turn my AC off when leaving the house during a Heat Advisory?

No. Set it to a higher temperature (usually 80-82°F is fine) but leave it running. Turning it off completely lets indoor humidity and temperature build up, and the system has to work harder to recover than it would have to maintain. Programmable thermostats handle this automatically.

Is it normal for my AC to run continuously during a Heat Advisory?

Yes. A properly sized AC will run nearly continuously when heat-index values reach 105°F+. What's NOT normal is the system failing to maintain setpoint despite running continuously — that's an undersized-system or low-refrigerant signal worth diagnosing. We measure temperature split, refrigerant pressures, and amp draw on every Heat Advisory diagnostic call.

My AC is blowing cold air but the house won't cool down. What's wrong?

Most likely either airflow restriction (clogged filter, blocked registers, restricted condenser) or undersized capacity for the actual load (heavy occupancy, west-facing windows, doors opening frequently). Less commonly, slow refrigerant leak. Call (251) 300-9817 for a same-day diagnostic during a Heat Advisory — we prioritize these calls.

Will Air Solutions still respond during a Heat Advisory?

Yes — these are exactly the days our 24/7 emergency response is for. The phone goes straight to whoever is on call, often Reaves himself in the summer months. Cool Club members get prioritized routing ahead of the queue during demand peaks.

NWS Heat Advisory · Baldwin County, AL

Heat Advisory HVAC Protocol.

When the National Weather Service issues a Heat Advisory for Baldwin County, AL, your HVAC equipment runs longer and harder than any other day of the year. This page covers what the advisory means, what it does to AC equipment, what you can do today to protect your system, and when to call for emergency service. Air Solutions Heating & Cooling, AL#23194. 24/7 emergency line at (251) 300-9817.

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The short version

An NWS Heat Advisory in Baldwin County means heat-index values of 105°F or higher are expected for at least two days. Your AC will run continuously through these days. Three things matter most: (1) replace your air filter today if it's been more than 60 days, (2) clear any debris from around the outdoor condenser unit, and (3) leave your thermostat at a steady setting — don't crank it down 10 degrees and expect the system to catch up. If the system stops cooling during the advisory, call (251) 300-9817 — Reaves or one of the techs answers directly.

The condition

What an NWS Heat Advisory Means.

The National Weather Service issues a Heat Advisory when the heat-index value (apparent temperature accounting for humidity) is forecast to reach 105°F or higher for at least two consecutive days, or when actual air temperature is forecast to reach 100°F or higher under any humidity. Baldwin County typically sees several Heat Advisories each summer, most often July through early September.

The advisory is below the threshold for an Excessive Heat Warning (covered on a separate page) but above the threshold for an ordinary hot day. NWS issues the advisory because heat-index values in this range produce real public-health risk: heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and elevated mortality among elderly and chronic-illness populations. The HVAC implications track the public-health implications — equipment runs continuously to maintain indoor setpoints against the load.

Equipment impact

What It Does to HVAC Equipment.

Continuous-runtime is the dominant HVAC impact during a Heat Advisory. A residential AC sized for typical Baldwin County summer load will cycle on-off every 12-15 minutes during a normal hot day. During a Heat Advisory, that same system runs nearly 100% of the time, sometimes for 18+ hours straight. Continuous runtime exposes any weak component immediately: marginal capacitors fail, blower motors with worn bearings seize, condenser fan motors with overheated windings give out, and refrigerant systems with slow leaks crash low on charge.

The second impact is dehumidification. AC systems remove moisture as a byproduct of cooling — the colder the evaporator coil gets, the more condensate drips into the drain pan. During Heat Advisories, condensate volume can be 3-5× normal. Drain pans clog faster, biofilm builds up faster, and the float switch trips more often. Many of the 'AC stopped working' calls during a Heat Advisory are actually drain-pan float-switch trips, not equipment failures — the system is fine, it just needs the drain cleared.

Before the event

Pre-Event Homeowner Checklist.

Replace your air filter if it's been more than 60 days. A clogged filter restricts airflow, which forces the system to run longer to maintain setpoint and increases the risk of frozen evaporator coils during continuous runtime.
Clear at least 2 feet of clearance around the outdoor condenser unit. Cut back vegetation, move patio furniture, sweep grass clippings off the top of the unit. Restricted airflow at the condenser is the fastest way to overheat a compressor during peak load.
Set your thermostat to a steady comfortable temperature — typically 76-78°F. Do NOT crank it down 10 degrees. AC systems remove a fixed amount of heat per minute; setting the thermostat to 65 doesn't make it cool faster, it just keeps the system running until it gets there, which it won't during 105°F+ heat-index conditions.
If you're a Cool Club member and haven't had your spring tune-up yet, call us today. Heat Advisories are exactly the conditions our spring 8-point check is designed to catch components before. We prioritize Cool Club members during peak demand windows.

During the event

While the heat advisory Is Active.

Keep the thermostat at the steady setpoint. Don't open windows even briefly during peak afternoon hours — outdoor humidity is higher than indoor humidity and you'll add moisture load that takes hours to remove.
Run ceiling fans to push the cooled air around. Fans don't cool the room (they cool people via convection), so turn them off in empty rooms. The trick is the apparent-temperature reduction at occupant level, which can let you set the thermostat 2-3 degrees higher without losing comfort.
Close blinds on west- and south-facing windows during peak afternoon (1pm-7pm). Solar gain through unshaded windows can add 20-30% to the effective cooling load.
If the indoor temperature starts climbing despite the system running, that's a real failure signal. Call (251) 300-9817 immediately — don't wait. Common causes: tripped float switch (drain clog), blown capacitor, frozen evaporator coil from a refrigerant or airflow issue. We carry parts for the high-frequency failures on the truck.
If you see ice on the indoor coil, refrigerant lines, or outdoor unit, turn the system OFF at the thermostat (not at the breaker — that re-trips when power restores). Ice indicates a refrigerant or airflow problem that gets worse the longer the system runs. Wait for us; we'll diagnose without making it worse.

After the event

Post-Event Equipment Inspection.

Run a quick post-advisory inspection on your own: walk around the outdoor condenser, look for ice on the line set or unit, listen for the compressor running normally, check the drain line outdoor termination for steady drip during operation. Any abnormality is worth a service call to diagnose.
If you smelled musty air during the advisory, the condensate drain may have backflowed or biofilm may have built up. Schedule a drain treatment — we usually combine it with the next-cycle Cool Club tune-up rather than running a separate trip.
If the system felt strained — loud, slow to recover after door openings, weak airflow at registers — book a diagnostic visit. Heat Advisories expose components on the edge of failure; better to catch them now than during the next cold snap or the next Heat Advisory.

Related Air Solutions resources: emergency HVAC service, AC repair, heating repair, the Cool Club bi-annual maintenance plan, and the full Baldwin County service area.

Heat Advisory HVAC — Frequently Asked Questions

Should I turn my AC off when leaving the house during a Heat Advisory?
No. Set it to a higher temperature (usually 80-82°F is fine) but leave it running. Turning it off completely lets indoor humidity and temperature build up, and the system has to work harder to recover than it would have to maintain. Programmable thermostats handle this automatically.
Is it normal for my AC to run continuously during a Heat Advisory?
Yes. A properly sized AC will run nearly continuously when heat-index values reach 105°F+. What's NOT normal is the system failing to maintain setpoint despite running continuously — that's an undersized-system or low-refrigerant signal worth diagnosing. We measure temperature split, refrigerant pressures, and amp draw on every Heat Advisory diagnostic call.
My AC is blowing cold air but the house won't cool down. What's wrong?
Most likely either airflow restriction (clogged filter, blocked registers, restricted condenser) or undersized capacity for the actual load (heavy occupancy, west-facing windows, doors opening frequently). Less commonly, slow refrigerant leak. Call (251) 300-9817 for a same-day diagnostic during a Heat Advisory — we prioritize these calls.
Will Air Solutions still respond during a Heat Advisory?
Yes — these are exactly the days our 24/7 emergency response is for. The phone goes straight to whoever is on call, often Reaves himself in the summer months. Cool Club members get prioritized routing ahead of the queue during demand peaks.

Schedule HVAC service · Heat Advisory response

Schedule HVAC Service in Baldwin County.

Same-day weekday appointments most of the year. 24/7 emergency line at (251) 300-9817 — Reaves or one of the techs answers directly during heat advisory events.

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Need someone right now? Call (251) 300-9817 — Reaves or one of the techs picks up the 24/7 emergency line directly.

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HVAC Emergency During a Heat Advisory?

Call (251) 300-9817 — we answer 24/7. Cool Club members get prioritized routing during peak demand.

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