[July 20, 2011] Local AC retailers, service providers scrambling to keep up with demand Tweet Jul 20, 2011 (The Daily Republic - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- With the heat index topping 100 in the area in recent days, sales and service of air conditioning units is in high demand. John Weisser, owner of Weisser's A-1 Heating & Air Conditioning in Mitchell, said he is working long hours selling and servicing AC units. "I leave the house at 7 a.m. and I'm lucky to get home by 9, 9:30 at night," Weisser said. He said the hot spell has increased demand for sales and service, but it has been a brisk business all summer. "It's been continuous. People are changing their old units out," Weisser said. "The elderly people are spending money and getting their old systems out. They're concerned about the economy. You can save 40 to 60 percent off your electric bill with a new unit." But he said the spate of hot weather increased the demand dramatically. "It did. It makes it worse because people don't maintain their equipment," Weisser said. "That's the biggest thing. Changing filters, washing things out." He said the long hours are just part of the job this time of year. Weisser has operated the business for 17 years and said he's seen intense hot spells like this before, and business always spikes. Such weather causes trouble for AC units, he said. "That's continuous. Vicious circle," Weisser said. "The heat, it pushes things and the units quit. They get hot." Lincoln Feistner, sales and project manager for Central Electric Cooperative, of Mitchell, said it's been a hectic time for the business. Central Electric sold all 45 of its AC units in stock in recent days and is awaiting another shipment, he said. It has heat pumps in stock, which provide heat in the winter and cool a home in the summer, Feistner said. The demand for service is high as well. "We've got four service guys going nonstop," Feistner said. "They're running 12-hour days." People are calling for service and they want it now, with the high heat and humidity. They don't want to have to wait and sweat it out, he said. "We don't want them to have to, either," Feistner said. "We apologize to the people we haven't been able to get to yet." He said the best way to prevent an AC unit from failing is "a little routine maintenance," cleaning it and replacing the filter. "And make sure the outdoor unit is not plugged up," Feistner said. Thune's True Value Hardware & Appliance co-owner Kathy Gross said the Mitchell store sold out of air conditioners Saturday. The extended heat spell this summer is the first one in a few years, and some people weren't prepared, Gross said. "This has caught a number of people by surprise, especially if they didn't do maintenance work," Gross said. "These are not new sales ... they are replacement sales." She said Thune's sold all of the AC units it had in stock -- about 10, she said -- and hasn't been able to get more immediately. "The problem is our warehouse is out," Gross said. "Retail air conditioners are a seasonal item." Weisser said he has AC units for sale. "I got a bunch left," he said. But the demand remains high, he said, matching the weather. The heat index on Tuesday was predicted to hit 118 in Mitchell. The only good news is the temperature is expected to drop into the 80s and low 90s by the end of this week, a break from the extreme heat of the past four days. To see more of The Daily Republic, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.mitchellrepublic.com. Copyright (c) 2011, The Daily Republic, Mitchell, S.D. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]