Hot weather plagues AC units across Mitchell

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Monday was the hottest day of the year, and some city employees know that all too well.

Air conditioning units in the Public Safety Building and the Mitchell Public Library wilted in the 104-degree heat Monday.

“It’s pushing every air conditioners to the edge,” said Police Major Leon Baier. “Keep this up and a lot of air conditioners will give up.”

Baier said one of two AC units was “acting up” Monday and didn’t provide as much relief as was needed. It was in the 80s in the building during the day, he said.

Baier said things were better Tuesday. The weather outside “cooled” to a high of 98, according to the National Weather Service. Mitchell Library Director Jackie Hess said it was far too warm in the library Monday as the AC unit struggled. “It was so hot yesterday it just couldn’t keep up,” Hess said. But she said when it was turned on Tuesday it worked fine, and the temperature was pleasant in the building. The two city buildings were on a long list of places where AC units have failed this summer.

Kristi Kayser, Tessier’s service dispatcher, said she has been fielding on average 50 calls a day for the past few weeks.

“We’ve been getting calls for the last couple, three weeks,” Kayser said. “Our install guys are super-busy. We try to take care of people with no cooling the same day.”

There have been a variety of problems with units this summer as temperatures have routinely topped 90 and have hit 100 several times.

“It’s been just a lot of different things,” Kayser said. “And I think this is going to keep up for a couple more weeks.”

Tags: weather, updates, heat, local, mitchell