OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — People rely on air conditioning most during the hottest days of the year.
But experts say air conditioning units are more likely to break during summertime because of that same heat.
“The temperature is just way too high and the humidity is way too high, so any system is going to struggle to try to keep up,” said Rocky Florez, owner of Elite Heating & Air. “You think every year somebody is gonna turn on their air conditioner before it gets too hot to make sure everything is working like it should, but that’s never the case.”
For Florez, everyday starts with a handshake, and there has been a lot more introductions lately; the demand for air conditioning repair has more than doubled.
During the off season, Florez and his two sons respond to about six to eight calls a day. During the summertime, it jumps between 18 to 20.
“I usually tell my guys when we see that the next week is gonna be 100 or more — be prepared," Florez said. "We don’t wanna turn anybody away."
Nicholas Platko owns a rental home in Overland Park. His tenant called on Thursday morning to say the air conditioner went out in 80 degrees heat.
“I’m really happy he was able to come out today and get it fixed,” Platko said. “I was kinda worried if I would be able to get anybody out today, because I’m sure all the air conditioners are going down, or a lot of them are, and being able to get somebody out quick is tough.”
Like most repairs caused by extreme temperatures, his capacitor overheated and popped.
“The capacitor really works hard in 100 degree temperature, and if the condensing coils on the unit are super dirty — I mean we have tons of them in our van because we know its the most common things this time of year,” Florez said.
Florez says luckily he and his sons are used to the heat from working out in it so often, but hydration and proper clothing is key to continue winning that battle day in and day out.
”You know with the high temperatures, this kind of business isn’t for everybody, but you gotta really like what you’re doing and you gotta love your customers,” Florez said. “You can’t predict when a customer is gonna call and say that they need service done, so we just have to always been prepared for the hot.”
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