PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — It’s no surprise that July in Tampa Bay brings the heat, and that means air conditioning units are either working overtime or not working at all.
WATCH: Summer heat overwhelms A/C units across Tampa Bay, keeping repair crews busy
In Hudson, Kimberly Alix found herself in a sweltering situation when the A/C went out at her salon, Hot Headz.
“My first thought was, ‘It’s going to be hot as hell, call Johnny Cool,’” Alix said.
Sure enough, Johnny Cool Heating & Air showed up Monday. Technician Jaryd Johnson identified the issue.
“There used to be a foam piece that ran around the lining, which is obviously missing now,” Johnson said. “It rubbed against this coil for so long that, as you can see, there’s a little pinhole in it — and it completely dumped the entire refrigerant charge.”
While some of Alix’s loyal customers canceled appointments, others stuck it out with the help of a few fans.
“When you want to look pretty, you go through any torture,” said one customer.
Alix admits the name of her salon felt a little too appropriate.
“It’s hard to work without A/C. My customers have been very patient — they’ve been coming here for a long time,” she said. “Unfortunately, I’m living up to the name Hot Headz.”
In New Port Richey, Sarah Reed lost her air conditioning when a falling tree branch caused a leak in her system.
“It was awful. It was 82 degrees in here this morning,” Reed said.
Roman Plumbing and Air came to her rescue.
Technicians say one of the most common causes of summer breakdowns is neglecting regular maintenance.
“If you don’t keep up with maintenance, your unit has a much higher chance of blowing out,” said service manager Frankie Roman.
Johnson said another frequent problem is undersized ductwork in homes.
“Put simply, if your ducts are too small, you’re not going to be able to remove all the heat from the air,” Johnson said. “If you can’t get the heat out of the home, you can’t cool it.”
As the heat intensifies, so does the urgency for repairs, and for many, the need is immediate.
“They came out right away, it was nice,” Reed said. “I only had to go one day without A/C.”
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