Air-conditioning repair shops are prepared for what looks like one of the hottest weekends so far this summer.

"The worse the weather is, the busier we are,"said Russ Shirado, part-owner of Northern Plains, which fits and services plumbing, heating and air conditioning.

Shirado, who's been in the business for 10 years, said they brace themselves for heavy business during the hot times, especially, because customers tend to call a lot quicker when air conditioning goes down than with any other system.

"It's surprising,"he said. "People can go without heat longer than they will without air conditioning."

This weekend may challenge repair shops around Bismarck-Mandan, as meteorologists predict an extremely hot one with little relief from wind.

"We may set some records out west, especially," said Harlyn Wetzel, a meteorologist with the Bismarck National Weather Service office.

He said the western half of the state will see temperatures ranging from 101 degrees to 105 degrees, adding that the east will be cooler but may seem warmer because of humidity.

"It won't be quite as humid in the west," he said, adding that the west has a slight chance for a thunderstorm.

Record highs for Bismarck were 104 for today, set in 1921, and 103 for Sunday, set in 1901.

Those highs may keep people in the cooler air inside, pushing the demand for electricity with air conditioners running day and night.

Mark Hanson with MDUResources Group, Inc., did not expect any strain on electricity supply because of hot conditions, adding that the system is set up to handle demand spikes related to weather.

"We're a summer peaking electric company, which means our system normally peaks around this time of year,"Hanson said. "If we have any type of outage or anything like that, it would probably be storm related."

But that strain on air conditioners keeps those technicians busy, said Mindy Sayler, office manager for River City Heating.

"When it's a little hotter, we work some long hours,"Sayler said.

Both repair shops, and many others in the city that offer 24-hour emergency services, say they can get to clients pretty quickly.

"We always have that flood of calls during those really hot times,"Sayler said.

Shirado recommended that people concerned about air conditioners breaking down should keep an eye on routine maintenance issues, such as checking filters and making sure the unit is clear from debris. He said no single repair is associated with overuse of a unit, but emphasized that maintenance is key.

"It's pretty devastating to have something like that go down,"Shirado said.

For the latest on the weather, go to bismarcktribune.com.

(Reach reporter Crystal R. Reid at 250-8261 or at crystal.reid@;bismarcktribune.com.)