Jul 31, 2025 By Paul Paterra 4 min read

Business has been booming for the air-conditioning business this summer.

With a spate of 90-plus-degree days coupled with high humidity, folks have been operating their air-conditioners pretty much nonstop, resulting in a glut of service calls for local heating and air conditioning companies.

And Wednesday marked another hot day with a “real feel” surpassing 100 degrees.

“We’ve been really busy, for sure,” said John Torbich, owner of Fayette Heating & Cooling in Uniontown.

Rob Champe, president of Shearer Heating, Cooling & Refrigeration, said his company has had to pull its technicians that typically work commercially into handing residential service calls, resulting in a full schedule for each of the company’s nine technicians.

“We’ve been go, go, go every day since this started,” Champe said. “It wasn’t quite like last year where it was sustained for a long period of time, but the humidity is the killer now. We’re pulling our technicians off of commercial here and there to catch any of the overflow. We’re full every day.”

JED heating & Cooling in Donora is breaking records with its service calls. Jim DeLattre, owner/president, said the company’s schedule is booked almost until the end of August.

“We have been swamped; in fact, swamped is not even the word,” he said. “We’re running three crews every day. Sometimes, we get to a fourth crew. Service techs have been exceptionally busy. We’ve got guys putting in two air conditioners a day. It’s been a banner year so far for us.”

Henry Klinar, general manager of McKean Plumbing and Heating in Washington, said his company, too, has seen a significant number of calls in the last month.

“With the hot weather and the humidity, the air conditioners are just running,” he said. “There are oftentimes they need service or break down. It’s good for us to be able to respond quickly, and our guys have done a great job doing so.”

Service calls have been varied, from heavy usage of air conditioners resulting in breakdowns of units or calls for new parts. Some customers have been upgrading their air conditioners or replacing them altogether.

Champe said his company has been responding to a number of condensation calls.

“There’s been some sweating in duct units that have never sweat before,” he said.

The experts offered some tips to keep air conditioners in good condition.

First and foremost, maintain the units.

“The best thing to do is maintain the filter and the air flow,” Torbich said. “Try to keep as much sun out of the house as possible and keep the doors closed. I have kids, and the doors are always open, and you’re pulling the heat in.”

Klinar recommended flushing the condensate drain, something that can be done with hot water and compressed air.

“That’s something we do on our maintenance calls, but it’s something customers can do to make sure those drains are done properly,” he said.

Champe added that filters should be replaced regularly, depending on the size. Those with a one-inch throwaway filter should be replaced monthly while thicker filters can last about two or three months.

He also doesn’t recommend turning up the thermostat.

“You can do it to save your equipment a little bit, but it’s still going to run just as much trying to keep that other temperature you’re turning it up to,” Champe said. “The thermostat is there for their comfort, so I tell people not to turn them up at all.”

Technicians should get a break beginning Thursday, when temperatures are expected drop to a more comfortable 80 degrees.

“We can get caught up a little bit, catch our breath,” Torbich said.