To avoid a surprise air conditioning repair bill, specialists advise residents to take extra care of their units during exceptionally hot summers.
Cory Moreno, owner of Kane’s Heating and Air Conditioning in Harker Heights, said this summer has been one of the busiest of his 20-year career.
“It’s been extremely busy compared to last year,” Moreno said. “The demand on people’s homes — heating and AC systems — is so much greater than it has been. We’re getting tons of calls.”
Now that temperatures are commonly over 100 degrees almost daily, Central Texas air conditioning specialists said it’s more important than ever to ensure AC units are functioning properly.
“Some of the things I recommend: Make sure to change your filters regularly,” he said. “When it is well over 100 degrees outside trying to keep your house at 70 or 72 in a lot of cases is just not reasonable; you’re going to need to turn it up a bit.”
The weather forecast shows 100-degree days at least through Thursday, according to weather.com. The Killeen area may see a one-degree drop back down into the double digits Friday before the heat returns to triple-digit territory.
The combination of high demand and inventory supply issues, Moreno said, has led to longer wait times for his customers in need of a repair or a new AC unit.
“It’s hard on the customers and on us,” he said.
John Deane, owner of Deane Electric & Air Conditioning in Killeen, said his business has been so busy this summer that he’s backed up two weeks.
“If you need air, be willing to pay extra if you want to get bumped up the line,” Deane said.
The Killeen business owner advised homeowners to get annual AC service check-ups, change filters regularly, keep their drain lines clean, and to “not buy cheap air conditioners.”
Herald reporter Madeline Oden contributed to this report.
