Last summer, many repair shops still had inventory from the previous year, so most customers probably didn’t notice the drop.
“There were some limited shortages last year,” said Brian Hastings, owner of 4 Seasons Air Conditioning and Heating in Orlando. “But they were very short-lived. It was not long-term like we’re seeing.”
Factory closings started the first wave of slowdowns in production, but the problems cascaded. Next came a lack of drivers returning to work. Manufacturers have told Hastings, “We’ve got trucks full of product but we can’t get drivers to pick up these trailers,” he said.
Trane, a major A/C manufacturer, had a plant partially collapse under heavy snow during the winter storm in Texas this February. And, as with many other products, air conditioner thermostats need microchips, which are also in short supply this year.
Then came the heatwave in the Pacific Northwest, which diverted a lot of supply to a region that usually doesn’t have much demand.
Offices closing and sending people to work from home might also be responsible for a spike. Hill says some people will tolerate a broken air conditioner if it’s cool enough at night when they are home.
“Suddenly, they’re home all day and they say, ‘I’ve got to get this fixed now,’” he said.
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Originally Appeared Here