CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- On the hottest day of the year so far, crews in the Queen City worked around the clock Monday to fix broken air conditioners.
Morris Jenkins Heating and Cooling told NBC Charlotte it received more than 1,000 calls, nearly double what they typically get on a hot day.
"As the day progressed it just kept getting hotter and hotter," said April Portrais. "It went from 74 to 76 to 80 to 85."
As the Portrais family sat on their couch and watched Hulu, they were laughing. However, when their A/C went out, it was no joke. Before things got worse, they called the professionals.
After technicians checked the outdoor unit, they went up to the attic.
"Imagine the engine in your car running 24 hours practically," said John Sorrells, supervisor at Morris Jenkins. "The air conditioner is running, running, running -- something is eventually going to break down."
Morris Jenkins is adding extra staff throughout the heat wave. The Portais family has a backup plan if the air goes out again.
"I'm very sensitive to the heat and the sun," said Portrais. "If it's not working again, my sister and brother-in-law live down the street, and they have working A/C, so we'll go stay there."