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A/C repair companies hustle to keep customers cool
A/C repair companies are working overtime to repair broken A/C systems, all as Texas experiences a record-breaking heat wave.
AUSTIN, Texas - The last thing you want to happen during triple-digit heat is for your air conditioning to break. HV/AC repair companies are working overtime to get people’s AC back on, but it’s an uphill battle keeping up with all the calls.
"It's been a brutal few weeks of the beginning of summer, and we're just rolling with the punches, trying to serve everybody, keep everyone cool," said Ryan Saltzman, an HVAC technician with Radiant Plumbing & Air Conditioning.
FOX 7 Austin reporter John Krinjak tagged along with Saltzman as he was called to Jessica Pruneda’s house in Northeast Austin. She had been without air conditioning for about 12 hours.
"We went out last evening," said Pruneda, whose house was really heating up. "Probably in the 90s. So that was pretty warm."
Radiant says they’ve been getting up to 50 calls a day.
"Some calls are real quick. Some calls take all day long," said Saltzman.
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"Biggest problem is being able to get to everybody," said Ian Lueckemeyer, an HV/AC sales rep with Radiant. "Calls at nine in the morning, they might not be able to get seen until five or six that evening."
The company is doing their best to prioritize the most urgent calls, like pregnant or elderly residents, but the heat can also be a challenge for the techs themselves.
"Switching out, going into the attic, working in our car for a second, just get a little cool air, so we can focus, get back to what we're doing. Staying hydrated is the biggest one," said Lueckemeyer.
Radiant has about 70 or 80 units in stock at their headquarters, as they keep getting more and more calls.
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Texas power grid sees record demand
On Tuesday, the Texas power grid saw more demand for electricity than it's ever seen in a single day during the month of June, leading ERCOT to issue a voluntary conservation notice.
"We've already stocked up a little bit for the summer just to go out and have stuff ready," said Leuckemeyer.
Back at Jessica Pruneda’s house, some good news.
"These people have drain line issues. It's a pretty common problem. So we're going to get them purged and draining again, and the system should come on," said Saltzman.
"Just really grateful because right now there are I'm sure a lot of other people experiencing the same problem," said Pruneda.
Radiant stresses it’s important to get small issues with your A/C taken care of, before they turn into big issues on a hot, humid day.