TACOMA, Wash. — Air conditioning companies around the Puget Sound region are working at a record pace to install central air in people's homes during the recent heat wave.
The demand is high since most people in western Washington don't have central A/C.
"We've taken over 400 calls per day," said Gregory Jackson, sales manager at Pacific Heating & Cooling in Tacoma. "We're to the point where we've got so many calls that even just being able to answer every single one of them is not possible."
Not only is the company dealing with a distribution shortage, but they are also booked out for weeks.
"It's like a beehive in here," said Jackson. "This place is humming and buzzing, and everybody is moving and shaking. We're doing what we can, but it's definitely a challenging time."
Jackson said the AC systems in western Washington aren't designed to handle the kind of temperatures the Puget Sound has experienced over the last few days. He's encouraging residents with A/C systems to taper expectations and not set thermostats as low as 70 degrees on 100 degree days.
"The weather in the Pacific Northwest, I've lived here all my life, and it's changing," said Jackson. "It feels hotter, and I feel like even if you can't get it this year, it's going to be the same next year. We're going to have another hot spell, and you're going to want to be able to sleep at night."