Contractors had reason to be happy this summer. Record hot weather scorched much of the U.S., according to a recent report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which stated that summer temperatures even exceeded the record heat experienced during the 1936 Dust Bowl. In addition to the unusually warm weather, demand remained strong from consumers who are still spending a large amount of time at home due to the pandemic. Many of these homeowners saw this as the perfect opportunity to replace aging equipment with units that will improve comfort, energy efficiency, and IAQ.
That demand is partly reflected in recent reports from HARDI, which noted that for June, the average sales performance by the group’s distributors increased by 22.1% and in July, the increase was 9.3%. Contractors say that demand carried through the rest of the summer and is likely to continue into fall and winter as well — if they can obtain the equipment.