Air conditioners in demand
Photo: castanets stick
If you need air conditioning in time for the 40-degree temperatures this weekend, you could be unlucky.
A quick check of a handful of home improvement and home appliance stores in Kelowna revealed that they only had one portable air conditioner in stock, and that has likely been purchased by now, even priced at $ 599.
The need for repairs has also risen sharply.
“The heat wave is coming and it seems like everyone’s air conditioning is failing,” said Wil Irvine, owner of Irvine Mechanical. “The pressure that the extra heat puts on a system is enormous, and basic maintenance like changing filters and making sure they are clean and the like will be very helpful.”
Irvine said his shop is pretty booked right now.
“You can’t accommodate everyone, and we don’t try to accommodate everyone,” he said. “There are a lot of good guys in this town. So if we can’t get you up in time, we’ll do the news for a few other guys.”
If it’s an emergency, repair companies will usually do their best, Irvine said.
“You know, we definitely have the people who are in a bad situation and we try to be one step ahead of it, but ultimately number one gets first place,” he said. “Of course we try to be as fair as possible.”
