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Aug 12, 2023

Heat causes delay of HVAC appointments, closing for local restaurant

Dry heat has made it a challenge for one HVAC contracting company to be able to respond to customer needs. COLUMBIA - The dry heat that often comes with summer weather can cause many issues for your

Dry heat has made it a challenge for one HVAC contracting company to be able to respond to customer needs.

COLUMBIA - The dry heat that often comes with summer weather can cause many issues for your A/C unit and this heat has hit mid-Missouri hard recently. For the next few days, heat indexes will exceed 105 degrees.

Around this time of year, Accurate Heating and Cooling is not often able to address the needs of those who call in.

"When it reaches the 90s, we replace a lot of evaporator coils that are leaking refrigerant and a lot of compressors," Tammy Poulsen, office manager at Accurate Heating and Cooling, said.

The summer time is particularly challenging for many HVAC contractors.

"Third quarter is always our busiest time, the state of Missouri has more heating days than cooling days and that really says something," Poulsen said.

For Accurate Heating and Cooling, changes in procedure and the increasing calls has caused them to make some really tough choices.

"Sadly for the second year in a row we've had to say that we can't take new customers right now," Poulsen said.

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"Sometimes our next available appointment isn't for ten days of two weeks and often customers will tell me 'ya that's what I keep hearing," Poulsen said.

For one local restaurant, Big Mama's Cafe, the heat in the kitchen has caused them to close for two days.

In a Facebook post, the restaurant said, "We have to put our employees safety above everything. The kitchen is too hot for them."

Big Mama's Cafe will reopen Saturday, Aug 26, at 6 a.m.

Although the required experience needed to fix many A/C units is not always available, there are some other steps people can take to try to prevent putting too much pressure on the A/C units.

"Some of these problems can be addressed to an extent by regular maintenance, changing your filter, keeping your A/C at a consistent temperature and avoid opening windows," Poulsen said

Poulsen also said that people should remember that A/C units are not only cooling the air, but remove the humidity, which can be difficult the more you open your windows.

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