As the temperature is sticking around the mid-thirties at the end of this week, people are looking for just about any way to stay cool.

One of the most common ways is air conditioning - the system that takes air and cools it down, before delivering it into your home, car, or wherever the system is.

While there are smaller units that move air, the best units are the ones connected to the house, usually as part of an outside unit.

But how does an air conditioner really work?

We talked with Brad Johnson, owner of Johnson Heating & Plumbing here in Estevan to find out what makes them tick.

"The air crosses the evaporator coil, the coil inside your furnace, and cools the air down," said Johnson, "Causing the air to shrink and the water from the humidity to fall out of it, making condensation, and then the cool air gets blown around the house."

Johnson says that the model which is installed in your house is usually determined by what region you live in.

"There are different SEER Ratings in this part of the country  -  we use SEER 13 or 14 which is mid-efficient," said Johnson, "In hotter climates like Florida you have to use a SEER 21 or higher just because they run 10 months of the year."

Johnson says that a lot of his current calls are for the repair and maintenance of existing air conditioning systems, which can be cleaned and maintained to provide better air for longer.

"Make sure the condenser outside is clean and free of poplar fuzz and dust and dirt, which can just be cleaned with a garden hose once a year," said Johnson, "Maintain a clean furnace filter in the house to make sure everything's running at full capacity."

Johnson also said that compared to last year, their supply chain seems to be running much smoother despite the occasional tightness.