When the summer heats up, it can be harder to get your hands on the necessary equipment and parts. As HVAC contractors strive to meet customer demands, they have developed a variety of ways to manage their inventory. And those customer demands may be changing as some contractors have noticed a swing from “repair” to “replace” mode.
So far this season, many contractors are reporting satisfaction in the supply chain. “We have not had any supply issues at all in our area,” said Fred Kobie, president of Kobie Kooling, Fort Myers, Fla. “We see a trend to replace rather than repair as R-22 continues to rise in cost. Longer-term solutions are definitely the trend.”