As LA heat sparks a record in Woodland Hills, air-conditioning businesses sweat it out – LA Daily News

The heat is on for Southland air-conditioning repair businesses.

Just ask Ken Singer, owner of Morflow Air and Heating in San Fernando.

Right now, you could have another 100 air-conditioning businesses opening their doors, and wed all be busy, said Singer, who has owned the business for 35 years. Were talking about 100 calls a day right now. But were only working for our clients in the computer. If theyre not in the computer, they have to call somebody else.

A strong high-pressure system and weak onshore flow are causing dangerously high temperatures in Southern California, according to a National Weather Service statement. And there was no respite on Friday, as temperatures reached 111 degrees in Woodland Hills, tying the record for the date set in 2007.

The sizzling will prevail in the Southland. The mountains and valleys of L.A. County will continues to see temperatures ranging up to 112 degrees today. Coastal cities, of course, will be cooler but still hotter than normal. And while the weather was expected to cool slightly over the Labor Day weekend, the region will see another round of above-average heat next week, said NWS meteorologist Philip Gonsalves.

The sweltering heat has caused so many air conditioners to blow out that at Morflow Air and Heating, 10 employees are working about 10 hours a day, Morflow said.

And when its this hot you have to have two people per truck, Singer explained, adding they make sure to be properly hydrated.

The San Fernando business has had a nonstop summer of air-conditioning work.

I can think of only one or two weeks where it cooled down a little bit, Singer said. But we were so busy working on catch up work, we didnt notice it.

Freddy Alvarez, owner of U.S. Air Services in Pacoima, has also had a busy summer.

We keep on falling behind and behind and behind and behind, Alvarez said on Friday. All the (air-conditioning) machines are working to their capacity, but some of them in one way or another are not in the greatest condition. And people, because of the intense heat, will do whatever it takes. Theyll do whatever they have to do to get it repaired fast. Its been pretty hectic.

Alvarez, whose company has three workers including himself, said he sometimes turns into a couples therapist.

Theyre about to just divorce or worse because one of them doesnt understand why the air conditioning cant be fixed immediately, Alvarez said.

The California Independent System Operator, which manages the states power grid, issued a statewide Flex Alert on Friday, that called for voluntary electricity conservation through the evening.

Despite that call, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power set a record for a second consecutive day for peak electricity demand. The demand reached a peak of 6,555 megawatts mid-afternoon Friday, besting the record of 6,502 set on Thursday.

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Strain on the system continued to lead to power outages. As of 5 p.m. Friday, about 9,300 DWP customers were without power.

The weather service again urged area residents to protect themselves from such heat-related illnesses such as heat strokes by avoiding strenuous work outside, staying hydrated, wearing lightweight, light- colored clothing, checking on friends and neighbors especially the elderly and by never leaving children, seniors or pets in cars parked in hot weather, even for a short time and even with windows cracked open.

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As LA heat sparks a record in Woodland Hills, air-conditioning businesses sweat it out - LA Daily News