CLEARWATER, Fla. — Arlen Zell is the owner of Pleasant Air Conditioning in Clearwater and said there’s a national shortage of parts on A/C units that’s been going on since the pandemic started.
"It’s actually kind of gotten worse in a way because the manufacturers have lost a lot of their employees, and even us keeping people trained and just getting the equipment is a huge problem right now," said Zell.
Zell said he’s been ordering parts non-stop just to make sure he has them when customers call but he said a shortage of qualified workers is also impacting A/C companies.
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"A lot of the techs that have done this for years are starting to retire so to find really good certified techs is really hard right now," said Zell.
Prices for parts have skyrocketed. Zell said refrigerant, which is essential to your system, was just over $300 last year and is now $500.
"Basically, we’re doing our best to make sure we take care of the customers, it's all we can do," said Zell.
Zell said his company is prepared because they’ve stocked up on the hard-to-get supplies. But he said it's important for people to get a maintenance program with their A/C company so they can catch problems ahead of time.
"That will help you prepare for the future," said Zell.
