Sierra Air has been in business for 30 years, and while the company stays busy throughout the year, it is seeing much higher demand for its service as we head into the summer months. Temperatures are expected to be in the 90s for the rest of the week, and could even flirt with triple digits, this weekend. When it gets that hot, air conditioning systems are more likely to break.
"This time of year, we're slammed," Ron Ford, President and Owner of Sierra Air said. "We're busy doing repairs, installations, inspections."
Sierra Air has a warehouse that is filled with inventory, from furnaces to air conditioning units. That allows the company to make repairs on the same day, about 90% of the time. Things are so busy, that the equipment, in the warehouse, will be replaced about every two weeks.
The employees are staying busy, too.
"We have approximately 20 service techs and the same amount of installers to put in new equipment, but this time of year, we could use 40," Ford said.
Ford says it's not easy to find extra help, since they have to be certified. The company also drug tests potential new hires, and does background checks. Soto Horafopoulos is a lead installer for Sierra Air, completing a two-day project that completely overhauled a system, including a new furnace, air conditioner, and duct system.
"Their existing system, when we showed up, was about 37 years old," Horafopoulos said. "So, now we're just upgrading it, bringing it into higher efficiency."
Repairing an AC system can cost up to $4,000 for one piece of equipment. When prices get high enough, many residents decide to replace the system, altogether. Depending on the type, that can cost $7,000 to $15,000.
"They're just like buying cars," Ford said. "You can get a low end, all the way up to a Tesla, you might say."
Ford says it is an investment that people usually will only make once or twice in their lifetimes. For many, avoiding the high temperatures makes it worthwhile.
"It's going to be hotter. It's going to get a lot more humid. People are going to want to be a lot more comfortable, rather than uncomfortable without AC," Horafopoulos said.
Ford says about 80% of his company's work involves residential installations and service. About 20% is commercial installation. He says having your system serviced, regularly, can save you money in the long run.
"If they would've had some maintenance done earlier, we probably would've been half as busy as we are but we are slammed," Ford said.
Ford recommends central air for residents in northern Nevada. While many prefer swamp coolers, he says they only blow air that is about 20 degrees cooler than the outside temperature. If it is 100 degrees outside, swamp coolers blow 80 degree air. He also says they can blow more dust and dirt into the house.
