Air conditioning techs have tricks to stay cool while they work in the summer
Jul 24, 2014, 5:00 AM | Updated: 5:00 am
PHOENIX — With Arizona’s scorching temperatures, this is a really hot time of year for air conditioning companies.
Whenever an air conditioning unit needs to be repaired or replaced, air conditioning technicians have a way to keep cool while working in the attic, where temperatures can reach up to 130 degrees.
“Technicians will generally get the air conditioning running up in the attic once the duct work is off,” said Travis Howard, assistant service manager for Phoenix-based Howard Air. “They cool the attic down a little bit while they are prepping the job. At that point, they get up in the attic and it’s not so bad.”
Other than that, air conditioning workers use a portable fan and drink plenty of water to stay cool and hydrated in the attic.
If the air goes out, Howard doesn’t expect residents to wait around inside the house while waiting for repairs or a replacement.
“One of the things that we do for our customers, especially the ones that do have cell phones, is that we ask them to go to the mall and hang out,” he said. “We’ll call them when we’re on our way, so that they don’t have to stay in that hot house.”
Howard said his company can usually respond to an emergency repair call in just a few hours on a normal day.