Heating Units & Repair Crews Working Overtime

By Dan Bewley and Terry Hood, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- The freezing weather Green Country is having is hard on all kinds of equipment, especially heaters.

Heating units and repair crews have been working overtime the last few weeks. The experts say freezing temperatures mean a lot of stress to equipment and people.

Rick Kellenberger says it has been non-stop for his crews at AirCo Service. They usually average six calls a day to repair furnaces, but the winter blast has them responding to close to 10 a day.

"The afterhours guys who, in the winter time work all night long, they're going home about three or four in the morning," said Rick Kellenberger, AirCo Service.

On Friday, he was at the home of Alan Ernest.

"Worked fine (Thursday) night, then I got up (Friday) morning and the heat was off and the unit was on and I looked at it and it just wouldn't light," said Alan Ernest, a homeowner.

Kellenberger says he has seen a variety of problems, from busted motors to broken igniters, even frozen water lines in some high efficiency units. He says furnaces that struggle in the moderate temperatures are having big problems as it dips into the teens.

"They're just stressed out. Everything's been working to its max. Anything that's been borderline operation in the 30's and 40's will go ahead and fail in this time of weather," said Rick Kellenberger.

Kellenberger says there are a few things you can do to make sure your heater works in the freezing weather. He says make sure your air filter is kept clean and, if you have a new roof, double check the vent to make sure it hasn't moved or become loose.

The good news for Alan Ernest is his heater was out barely a day and he and his wife didn't have any major problems.

"I got a fireplace going in there, so it's not too cold," said Alan Ernest.

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