Rocky Mountain Power says to turn down your air conditioner during peak hours. That will help the environment and your power bill. Stock Image (Canva)
SANDY, Utah — Jeff Packard says his repair crews have been busy since Memorial Day, with even more calls coming since the latest heatwave began.
“With these triple digits, we are expecting to be even busier,” he said.
The CEO of One Stop Heating and Air Conditioning says they might have around 50 customers waiting for them to get there from Payson to Ogden and Tooele to Park City.
Packard says many of the problems are with airflow, and that can connect back to the filters. People who are in a new home may not know where those are, or others have renters or tenants who do not know how to find the filters.
“If you keep up on your filters and your system can breathe, your system is going to work a lot better,” he said.
Other problems include refrigerant leaks, motors that went bad, or outdoor units that broke down. Packard said that there are also older air conditioners that are starting to break down, he said a normal unit usually last around 15-20 years.
“A lot of older units see their age and have a hard time keeping up,” said Packard.
He said one important thing to do is keep the area around an outdoor unit clear of bushes or other growth. He also recommended lightly hosing off the sides. The units work by sucking in air through the sides and pushing hot air out of the top, and sometimes in the spring they suck in cotton or other things in the air.
Other tips from the Utah HVAC Contractors Association include:
Packard recommended anyone in the market to buy an air conditioner should do that soon. There are major shortages nationwide, and price increases coming industry-wide on August first.