INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Air conditioning repair companies across the city are reporting an increase in service calls as summer officially sets in. HomeSense Heating and Cooling co-owner Brian Schutt said they are getting hundreds of calls a week and a lot of those issues are preventable. "It’s not necessarily surprising," said Schutt, who is trying to get customers to focus more on preventative care rather than waiting until a unit goes out to call for service. "They turn their system on for the first time and nothing happens how they expect it to." He recommends a few easy tips to make sure nothing is getting in the way of your system's air flow making it work harder than it should. "We always recommend changing filters quickly," said Schutt. "It’s not just for during the heating season." You should also hose down the outside unit to keep it clean. "Over time with older systems, you can see cottonwood start to stick to the outside of the system," he explained.

"With less air flow it tends to cause the system to heat up more, which then pulls more amps of electricity." If your AC unit is working, but taking too long to cool your home or you hear a funny noise, call a service company now before the unit breaks down completely. "Much better to repair the small part on the front end of that sequence, then wait till all those dominoes fall and you’re looking at replacing an entire system." If you are looking for a reputable service company, Schutt recommends checking out the Heating and Air Conditioning Alliance of Indiana.Thirteen post office employees were hospitalized Saturday morning because of warm conditions at a Near North Side office, delaying mail delivery services in parts of the city until at least Monday."It was just too hot to work in there. Our carriers work through all sorts of conditions, but we don't expect them to work where it's unsafe," said Mark Reynolds, the Postal Service's Chicago field spokesman. More than 100 employees were evacuated from the post office at 550 N. Dearborn St.

People should not expect to get their mail until Monday for ZIP codes 60610, 60611 and 60654, officials said.size of ac unit for my houseChicago Fire Department paramedics and officials responded when several people were reported ill in a "heat-related" incident at the River North office. are window ac units worth itAt least 10 ambulances, a triage van and a command van were sent to the scene about 8 a.m., according to Chicago Fire Media officials.how much does it cost to have your ac unit serviced "I still don't have all the details, but the air conditioning system went out this morning. It became uncomfortable for employees to work, and some employee were transported to the hospital," Reynolds said. The location is a retail office and carrier unit.

It's closed until further notice. As of 10:15 a.m., postal workers were given the option to go home or work in the downtown office at Canal and Harrison streets, Reynolds said. Either way, they will be compensated for Saturday, he said.Mack Julion, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 11, said he is working to address safety issues with the postmaster."I'm not going anywhere until a decision is made that's in the best interest of everybody. We want to deliver the mail, but personal safety comes first," he said. “This is not the first time here unfortunately — this is the first time we've heard of it this week — but unfortunately it's gotten to the point where (the employees) are pretty much accustomed to it," Julion said. "When the air conditioning system goes out, it's unbearable."Above: Keeping your home cool without an air conditioner, especially during the day time. Check out the video at the end of the story for ideas on staying cool at night.

SEATTLE -- An air conditioning unit just might be the easiest way to  cool down your home (many local retailers, including The Home Depot, recently received new shipments in recent days), but for many of us, it's simply too expensive or impractical.We have some solutions for both day and night. Madison Stenek with The Home Depot brought in some great examples of inexpensive things we can all do to keep our home cool. "One of the easiest things you can do year-round is to properly insulate your home," she said. Aside from standard insulation, this includes weather sealants you can use on your windows and doors. There's even a window sealant kit she shows us that uses a window film that can reportedly save you $500 a year in energy costs. Stenek estimates about 50% of heat and cooling air gets out through gaps you have in your windows and doors. Something you may not have heard of using before: window films, both decorative and heat-resistant. The films are easy to apply with an application kit, and can help keep the heat out.

BONUS: They're easy to put up and to remove. For night time, fans are especially important, and Stenek pointed out the  focus should be on the direction the fans face.  A 'twin window fan' can adjust to fit right inside  your window; a stand-alone fan can circulate cooler air inside. Combining these two types of fans just might be the key to a good  night's sleep: "What most people don't know is if you actually turn [the twin window fan] the opposite way, and you have a circulating fan as well in your room, it's going to suck a lot of the heat out." Do you  have a ceiling fan? Little known fact: make sure it's set to spin counter-clockwise, as that will allow the heat to come up and out instead of swirling the hot air around. And when all-else fails, Stenek says to drink a glass of cold water before going to bed! Watch the videos for more ideas on keeping your home cool this summer, and remember: if you do decide to invest in an air conditioning unit, there are a lot of options.