At Doctor Cool, we’ve been fortunate to service and install air conditioning systems for residents of the Texas Gulf Coast for the past 42 years. As you can imagine, we’ve installed a lot of a/c units!

A shortage of available air conditioning units is something we’ve never seen or could have predicted!

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Air Conditioning Shortage

Although we’re seeing the major impact occurred in 2021, the shortage of a/c units began in 2020.

There are a lot of air conditioning manufacturers (we service them all!) and some of the prominent players include:

• American Standard
• Bosch
• Carrier (Goodman)
• Daikin (Amana)
• Lennox
• Mitsubishi
• Nortek (*white label)
• Rheem
• Ruud
• Trane
• York

All the major air conditioner manufacturers are global, multi-billion-dollar corporations and either has factories in and source their parts from all over the world, including China.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many manufacturers were shut down and every major manufacturer was impacted by December 2020. Companies were struggling to catch up with previous orders and increasing demand.

Demand Far Exceeds A/C Supply in 2021

Doctor Cool remained hopeful that a/c supply would return to normal as the sentiment within the HVAC industry remained positive. Unfortunately, the air conditioner shortages have gotten worse as the supply of new air conditioning units and parts has dropped to an all-time low.

What’s the Real Cause of the Air Conditioner Shortage?

Although many air conditioning manufacturers use “Made in America” in their marketing, the truth is that many brands are assembled in America using parts that were sourced from all over the world (Mexico and Asia).

Most air conditioning manufacturers are using the same brand compressor and those factories were completely shut down during the pandemic.

In addition to the compressor shortages, there have also been shortages of capacitors, switches, and relays that all manufacturers need to assemble equipment. In addition, many of the component parts are being manufactured at the same plant.

In addition to the shortages of a/c parts, there have been other issues associated with international shipping due to the pandemic. There were massive delays at U.S. Customs for incoming shipments and there have been shortages of both shipping containers and drivers to transport.

There have also been shortages of raw goods used to manufacture components, including steel, copper, and aluminum in addition to computer chips.

Other Industries Affected by A/C Shortage

If you think that the shortages air specific to air conditioning, don’t go out and try to buy a new vehicle!

We are seeing shortages across various industries including cars, trucks, bicycles, pool chemicals, generators, and the list goes on.

Doctor Cool Continues to Supply Customers!

Luckily, Doctor Cool works with many air conditioning manufacturers and has been securing units and stocking our warehouse. The benefit to having 42 years of relationships with a/c manufacturers is that we are consistently securing new a/c units for our valuable clients while maintaining our high level of service.

Doctor Cool was ready for this and is happy to be able to service our Houston and Galveston residents as we endure another long, hot Texas summer!

What Should You Do If You Need Parts or a New A/C Unit?

The most important advice that we can give you is to NOT wait until you have a problem. If your a/c units have not been inspected or serviced this season, you should do that immediately by contacting us here.

If you would prefer to schedule your appointment immediately online, click here.

Your air conditioning system consists of various components that must work together for the unit to cool. One small part failure can cause your entire system to shut down! In the hot Texas summer, that just ain’t gonna work!

For a list of our service specials click here.

If you know that you’re a/c unit is on its last leg and needs to be replaced, we’ve got you covered! We currently have various high-efficiency units in stock and are offering specials on financing.

Click here to see our new equipment specials.

Don’t wait until it’s too late as we can’t predict future availability!

Always At Your Service,

-Doctor Cool