The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting more than just the public's health, it's having a major impact on the availability of household appliances and parts to fix them.
For the third time this year, air conditioning manufacturer prices are going up according to Temperature Control Solutions Inc.
Reasons range from the cost of materials like steel, and copper along with shipping price hikes. A nationwide supply shortage spurred by the pandemic is also to blame.
Rey Rivera with TPC Inc. says due to these factors some customers can end up waiting several weeks before they are able to get their AC unit fixed or repaired.
"Some units that customers probably would not have fixed in the past, if it's a 20-25 week wait time we're going to fix it the best we can - like i said we've done extensive training to do that," said Rivera.
Rivera says the best thing homeowners can do right now is to be vigilant about maintaining you're AC unit. He also recommends replacing your air filter regularly, typically every three months.
Here's a deeper look at the costs that are trickling down to A-C companies and customers:
-Steel up 14% since May - up 100% since December
-Aluminum up 2% since May - 32% since December
-Copper up 25% since December
-Air freight up 43% from prior year
-Ocean rate - 2 to 3x higher than last year
