INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — This month is the hottest May on record for central Indiana, making it a bad time for your air conditioning to break down. If it does, you could be looking at longer-than-normal wait times because of a shortage of skilled workers.
“We’ve ran non-stop seven days a week for about the last four weeks,” said Williams Comfort Air Service Specialist Bryan Duff.
The surge in hot temperatures means more systems are working harder to pump out cold air. In just the last few weeks, Duff has been working six days a week and up to 14 hours each day responding to calls for air conditioning repairs.
It’s not just the hot temperatures keeping workers busy, though; there’s a huge shortage of skilled service techs. Duff said the industry is short about 20,000 workers nationwide. He said that number could double or even triple within the next ten years. Some companies are offering signing bonuses to help entice potential employees.
With more people needing service and fewer workers to do the job, that means customers could have longer-than-average wait times to get the air back on. Duff said some people are waiting between a few hours up to two or three days to get a service tech on site.
“The clients house I’m at right now, she actually called in on Tuesday and we’re just getting to her today,” he said.
If your air conditioning in broken and it will take a few days before anyone can repair it, experts recommend you:
- Keep your blinds and windows closed
- Close interior doors
- Rent or buy a small window AC unit, especially if you have young kids or elderly people in your household
