AC repairmen staying busy

By Latoya Silmon for NEWS 9

TULSA, Okla. -- The heat wave has been boosting business for air conditioning repair workers.

One Tulsa business owner said he's been working overtime to cool Green Country homes.

Time was working against Ray Allen

"We have a wedding going on Saturday and I was kind of nervous about that.  My fiancé was a little nervous there," said Allen.

The couple is getting married at their home, 150 people are coming and there's no AC.

But Terry Dowd saved the day.

When it gets hot out, Dowd's business usually heats up.

"When it gets above 95 degrees it turns like this.  I mean just non-stop.  In fact a lot people call and you can't get there quick enough," said Dowd, an AC repairman.

He said these days he's working 12 hour days, 6 days a week. But unlike his customers, he's not complaining because profits are up 30 to 40%.

"It's very good for business," Dowd said.

Ray Allen's case was an easy fix, but Dowd admits some jobs can take hours.

From homes to church houses, he responds to them all.

"A lot of the complaints is that it runs all the time won't cool the house and that's just from lack of maintenance," said Dowd.

Dowd said replacing units every 20 years and changing filters every three months could save you time and money.

Right now, some AC shops said customers could wait a day or more before they get to them.