A/C desire: Heat wave has people clamoring to cool off

The heat is on in Central Oregon, which has many people trying to cool off. Which can advantageous to air conditioning companies like Central Oregon Heating and Cooling in Redmond.

“This is the best June in a long time,” James Gustaveson, production manager at Central Oregon Heating and Cooling, said Thursday. “You know, of course the hottest June we’ve had in quite a few years, so that helps out a ton.”

The high temps have allowed the folks in the cooling business to get a jump start on the summer season.

“The other day, we booked about 150 sales calls,” Gustaveson said.

Over the past month or so, Central Oregon Heating and Cooling has received shipments of 10 to 15 air conditioning units per day. But they don’t stick around too long, because they also sell that amount on a daily basis.

They even reach folks all the way out by The Dalles, John Day and Burns.

“We’re doing our best to keep everybody cool,” Gustaveson said.

And that has the AC-equipped people of the High Desert all smiles.

“We finally caved as a family and bought our first air conditioning unit,” Jesse Hinrichs said.

“I ordered it yesterday,” Alyssa Wilder said. “It will be here on — it was supposed to be here tomorrow, but it will be here on Monday.”

“It’s more comfortable,” Dave Zang said. “It’s hard to sleep without it.”

Without air conditioners, how can one possibly sleep during the sizzling heat? Wilder said it hasn’t been comfortable.

“The temperature in my house has not dropped below 80 degrees in the last week, so it’s been hot — long nights and all the rest of that good stuff,” Wilder said.

Which is why making the switch to an A/C can make all the difference.

“Just having our first A/C unit actually has been pretty nice,” Hinrichs said. “Last night was really the first good night of sleep that the girls had, so that in itself was a life-saver.”

As long as the sun keeps cooking this summer, the A/C units will keep cooling — and selling like hotcakes.

“I’m personally hoping it stays nice and hot, so we can do what we like to do, which is install heating and cooling equipment,” Gustaveson said.

As the weather continues to heat up, make sure to grab yourself an air conditioning unit — or worst case scenario a fan, so you can cool off and get a good night’s sleep.