Lampman decided to call an expert, a technican from Nalk Air Conditioning and Heating. The company's CEO said business picked up earlier this week after customers saw the hot forecast. "People started calling to turn them on. 'Hey, come out and check.' Last week, it was time to go fishing," said Larry Metheny with Nalk Air Conditioning and Heating.
The air conditioning companies aren't the only ones keeping busy. During the summer months, hoisting up air conditioners becomes the bulk of business for Roth Crane Services. It took one operator less than 20 minutes to lift a 500 pound unit onto a Kingsburg home. For a family that spent two weeks shopping for a new A/C system, the installation couldn't come soon enough. "The cooler weather has given us a chance to investigate. But now, the heat's on. We gotta do something," said homeowner Dennis Flood.
From May through October, the crane company could set as many as twenty air conditioners a day. That's about the same amount of calls technicians from Nalk Air Conditioning may respond to daily.
Air conditioning units also account for a lot of energy use during the summer months. Wednesday, a PG & E spokesperson said despite the heat, the state's power supply isn't threatened right now. Still, it's never to early to conserve. They recommend setting your thermostat to 78 degrees while you're home and 85 when you are away to save on energy costs.
