When the temperatures rise in South Texas, air conditioners crank up.

With three consecutive days of record-setting heat in Victoria, and Wednesday's 103-degree high tying with a record set in 1916, and four straight days of more than 100-degree temperatures, residents are turning to their ACs to offset the triple-digit onslaught.

At Victoria Air Conditioning, business has picked up a lot the past several days, said dispatcher Jan Tuso.

"We are getting busier and busier. Some units are breaking down and others just can't keep up with the heat," she said. "There's not an AC in the world that was made to keep up with 108-degree heat. Units are stressed out. They can only do so much."

David Muegge, owner of Efficiency Air in Edna, is also experiencing an increase in workload.

"We're swamped," he said. "Some of the calls are for units that aren't fully charged with Freon. Others are fully charged, but just can't keep up because of the heat," he said.

"When it's 100 degrees outside, you can't just cool your house down to 72," Muegge said. "Those are some of the questions we're getting. We have more calls than we can get to."

Tuesday's high of 108 set a record for June in Victoria, breaking the record of 107 set on June 18, 1934.

A record was also set on Monday and Tuesday for peak electricity demand in the state of Texas, said Robbie Searcy, spokeswoman for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.

Tuesday's peak demand set a record for the months of June and July in Texas.

In Victoria, last year's peak demand was matched Tuesday with 227 megawatts. Last year's peak was recorded on Aug. 29.

"Typically, we see peak records in August when temperatures are hot and there is more electric load due to schools opening," said Andy Heines, AEP Texas communication manager.

One megawatt (a million watts) is enough power for between 200 to 300 homes for an hour depending on their size and consumption habits, explained Heines.

The record heat also means an increase in the sale of air conditioners at local retailers.

At Lowe's, assistant store manager Corrie Funk said he has seen an up-tick in AC sales.

"The last couple of weeks, air conditioner sales have been more predominant," Funk said. "We've sold quite a few."

• During peak demand hours of 3 to 7 p.m.:

  • Turn the thermostat up by two or three degrees in the late afternoon.

  • If you will be away from home throughout the day, turn the thermostat up before leaving home in the morning.

  • Avoid using large appliances, especially hot stoves and clothes dryers, during the peak.

  SOURCE: Electric Reliability Council of Texas