Air conditioning out? Some people are waiting days for repairs
Central North Carolina's heat index is expected to climb to 110 degrees this weekend as an oppressive heat wave moves across the South.
This summer has been the third-warmest summer we've ever had in North Carolina, according to WRAL meteorologist Kat Campbell.
The National Weather Services has issued a heat advisory for Friday and the weekend, which means that heat will be at dangerous levels.
As climate change has worsened, the number of heat-related deaths has increased, according to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Older adults, children, people with chronic health conditions, low-income Americans and outdoor workers are at higher risk of heat related illness.
Air conditioning helps prevent people from heat exhaustion, but some families in the Triangle say they are struggling to get their air condition fixed due to supply chain crunches.
"We realized one afternoon, the unit was not keeping up with the heat," said Greg Hill, a Cary resident.
A part is leaking in his A/C unit, and he said any replacement is tangled up a supply chain jam. The company working to replace his piece said it could take four to six weeks before his A/C is repaired.
Hill said he purchased some portable A/C units and they are working temporarily to keep his home cooler.
Experts say there are ways to care for your AC to prevent it from going out when you need it most.
“Right now we're definitely seeing a high volume of calls," said Jason Litvak, heating and air manager at Michael and Sons home services. "Air conditioners are breaking. We are definitely above our normal."
Litvak said air conditioning units are not equipped to offset temperatures above 100 degrees.
“What we are also seeing a little bit of is systems in North Carolina aren't designed to run as hot as it is right now. So it's actually making it worse ... air conditioning units are working perfectly fine but just can't keep up with the hot temperatures that we have right now,” Litvak said.
A recommendation he shares is to avoid setting your thermostat too high.
“In other words, don't let it get hot," Litvak said. "Pre-cool your house a little bit when it's a little bit cooler to allow your system to work easier as the day gets warmer.”
The high call volume is spreading staff thin. Litvak said sometimes Michael and Sons has to prioritize the requests that come in.
Some customers waiting for service are going days without air conditioning mainly due to supply chain issues delaying important parts and preventing technicians from completing jobs sooner.
“Sometimes we have to escalate issues, call the manufacturer, you know, go on to extraordinary circumstances to get heating and air conditioning up as quickly as possible," Litvak said. "We've been stockpiling equipment in anticipation of needing it so that way when and if we have a customer that has no air conditioning, we can get it taken care of as quickly as possible."
“That's usually the most difficult part of it, is explaining to the customer their part is a few days out and, unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about it," Litvak added. "So we do our best if we can get some temporary cooling. We do whatever we can to try to get them fulfilled as quickly as possible."
Inflation is also having big impacts. The industry is seeing multiple price increases this year. They’re paying anywhere between 25% to 50% more on equipment. That cost is trickling down to consumers.
“When we have to, we definitely definitely have to raise prices. So we're definitely seeing the effects and unfortunately our customers are feeling the effects of the high costs as equipment and fuel components go up," Litvak said.
To prevent AC issues, he advises people to try to keep their homes as cool as possible and refrain from turning the thermostat off and on.
“The highest temperature you'll still feel comfortable, that's really where you should keep it and just be patient," he said. "Unfortunately, if your unit does break down, know that technicians -- even if it's the first call of a day -- they may have been out until 8, 9, 10 or 11 at night, maybe even later the night before, and they're back out there. So just be patient with them. And you know, we're obviously we're trying to do our best.”
Tips to save on cooling costs
A spokesperson from Duke Energy shared the following tips with WRAL this summer:
- Consider installing a smart thermostat, so you can set your temperature from anywhere, anytime.
- Keep your home at 74 degrees or higher in the summer if possible.
- Change air filters regularly (at least once every two months).
- Close the blinds on the sunny side of the house.
- Install and use ceiling fans (set to a counterclockwise rotation).
