How HVAC Supply Shortages Affect Idaho Homes And Businesses [2022]

You’ve probably heard about supply chain problems and materials shortages affecting all sorts of industries in 2021 and 2022. Unfortunately, the HVAC world is no exception.

For many homeowners, that means suddenly paying much more for repairs or new equipment. Or ending up on a waitlist when they need a new heater or air conditioner.

At Snowflake Air, we do our best to be transparent and to communicate with our customers. We’re working hard to keep everyone safe and warm this winter. And, we’re looking at the best ways to ensure anyone who needs a new AC for this summer gets one.

But, there’s a lot that’s just not in our control.

So, we’d like to take this opportunity to explain the current industry situation, what it means for you as a customer, and what you can do to avoid problems in your home.

What Shortages Are Affecting The HVAC Industry In 2022?

The past year has been a perfect storm of challenges and setbacks that’s affected the heating and cooling world. Here’s what’s happening:

Raw Materials Shortages

Steel, copper, and lumber are in short supply. Production slowed down or stopped entirely in 2020. At the same time, we saw increased demand for these materials. The real estate market largely drove the increase: People renovated their homes, and buyers rehabbed old properties. 

As a result, we’re facing much higher costs and low inventory for steel and copper. Steel and copper are essential for everything from the coils in your central air system to the casings for furnaces and condensers.

Semiconductor Shortages

Semiconductors are crucial electronic parts of your heating and cooling systems. They regulate everything from humidity to air pressure to the amount of cooling or heating you’re getting from your system. As a result, three major chipmakers shut down their sites.

Along with higher prices, the chip shortage resulted in much less production of new furnaces and ACs.

Air Filter Shortages

Other raw goods shortages are causing price increases and low inventory for air filters. Our supplier, Air Filter Superstore, has consolidated their production lines and absorbed higher material costs as much as possible to avoid shortages.

However, they also announced a 15 percent increase in prices since they can’t absorb the extra costs anymore.

Supply Chain Problems

The next problem is getting these scarce materials to people who need them. Globally, a ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal halted around 12 percent of all shipping trade for nearly a week.

In the United States, ports are congested because there haven’t been enough workers to process all the incoming goods. We’re seeing similar problems with railroads and trucking that prevent goods from reaching distributors and customers.

What Can I Do To Avoid Problems?

At Snowflake Air, we’re working our hardest to avoid problems for our customers. We’re keeping our prices as low as possible. And, we’re paying close attention to which companies have available inventory. That way, we avoid putting you on waiting lists for installation while still ensuring that you’re getting a high-quality replacement system.

At home, you can take some steps to avoid costly repairs and long wait times for a new system:

Keep Your System Clean

Keep the area around your heater and AC clean. Lightly dust and clean off any parts of the system you can reach without taking anything apart.

Dust and other debris will damage an HVAC system over time. At the least, a dirty system won’t run as well as a clean one. You’ll end up with hot and cold spots and higher energy bills.

Replace The Air Filter

You should replace your air filter every month when your system is running and every three months when it’s not. If you have pets or your filter is especially dirty when you take it out, replace it every two weeks. 

And, stock up now before prices go up and supplies go down. That’s especially the case if you need special filters. 

A dirty air filter causes many of the same problems as a dirty system overall. If the filter is clogged, it may prevent the system from starting up at all.

Get A Tune-Up

Having a professional look over your system at the beginning of the heating and cooling seasons heads off all sorts of problems. And that’s especially important this year. 

With a tune-up, a professional optimizes your system for the season. It uses less energy and runs smoothly, which prevents breakdowns. Even if you’re already using your heater, we can still do a tune-up in the middle of winter.

Don’t Ignore Small Issues

A small problem will only get worse over time. And more expensive to fix. Call us right away if you notice a minor issue like a weird smell, strange sounds, or cold spots in the house. 

With any luck, we can head off any significant repairs or broken parts.

Replace Your Air Conditioner In The Winter

Schedule your air conditioner replacement in the winter, well before you need it. With inventory in short supply, you want to ensure the one you want is available now.

From there, you can opt to have us come out before the season for an early replacement. Or, we’ll secure your system and come out in the spring.

Either way, you’ll know it’s there for you when you need it.

Heater And Air Conditioner Repair And Installations In Boise, ID

Even in these tough times, Snowflake Air is still committed to bringing you the best, most reliable heater and air conditioner repair and installation work in Boise, ID, and across the Treasure Valley. Call us today at (208) 205-9078 if you have any questions or concerns about your HVAC system.