As summer heats up, so does parts shortage for AC units

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - With the summer rush, heating and cooling systems are experiencing shortages of parts. It’s important to make sure you know what to do in case your system stops working.

Safe Aire’s Division Leader Matt Lane said the shortage was spotted early and he was able to plan ahead this year.

“Fortunately, we saw the issues that we had last summer, so we started planning ahead. In October, we actually rented a few warehouses and started going ahead and building up our inventory so we can make sure we were able to supply southwest Georgia with HVAC systems,” said Lane.

The industry only has certain parts available. Lane said Safe Aire pulled parts out of the newer systems just to get them by.

“Most of the time if there is a failed part, and we can’t get access to that part that system’s down. You know, we have had to resort here recently, especially if the system was under warranty, actually taking some newer systems and actually pulling parts out of those systems to get us back right now,” said Lane.

With the part shortage, there are things you can look for to make sure your unit is working properly.

Lane said there are many signs to look for, yet there is one that stands out but is often missed.

“Obviously, one of the most important and sometimes most overlooked things is keeping a clean air for air filter in the house,” said Lane.

Servicing your air conditioning system is key.

“So for maximum protection of that system and maximum efficiency in our system, it needs to be serviced twice a year. That’s what most manufacturers recommend,” said Lane.

Safe Aire didn’t have as many issues last year. But there’s been issues recently.

“Last year, we did not have an issue getting systems and parts until August this year. It’s happening in June,” said Lane.

Now that it’s summer, when could the shortage end?

“So it’s going to be a little bit different this year and we’ll probably normalize a little bit once we get to the winner. And the demand drops and manufacturers and suppliers are able to increase their warehouse. But what we’re hearing from the industry is probably going to be more 2024-2025 before we really see things get back to where they were a few years ago,” said Lane.

Lane said it’s a good idea to get routine maintenance every two years to check your filters to ensure it’s working properly.

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