In the Eastern Province, where the climate is harsher than other parts of the Kingdom, cooling systems are an indispensable part of a daily life. In summer, temperatures soar and home air conditioners, which are put under increased strain, break down making people's lives miserable. This is the time of the year when air-conditioner repair shops make a killing working around-the-clock to meet the demand. Ameen, who runs a repair shop in Adama District in Dammam, says he has a lot of air-conditioners to repair. “People come here to get their ACs repaired or just cleaned. Most of the units with low ton capacity and small compressors fail to cool as required because they are affected by the high temperature and humidity,” he explained. As part of maintenance, accumulated debris must be removed from the cooling system. ACs should be checked for leakages, filters must be replaced to increase airflow and moving parts must be lubricated in order to make sure that the system operates at peak performance throughout the summer, he added. “We work for about 18 hours a day in two shifts to meet the needs of our customers. To service an air-conditioner, we charge a minimum of SR50, which differs according to the service provided. The six months of hot summer weather is the time when we work, and I usually go for vacation during the entire winter,” he said. Ijaz Ahmed, an Indian national, who came to Ameen's repair shop, says he finds it hard to get air conditioners to work well during the summer. “This summer in particular is hotter than last year and my air conditioners just stop working. We have a manhole or air duct in our building where the ac is fixed, but it will not work properly in two rooms. I have brought it here for servicing, but it is still the same story. I am planning to buy a split ac for one of the rooms,” he said. Split air-conditioners, although they are more expensive and consume more energy, are becoming popular as they function better than the window units. Mohammed Abdullah, who runs an electronic shop where he sells air-conditioners among other electronic household items, confirms this. “The sale of split models has increased this year as customers find them better than the window units, even though split models are more expensive,” he said.
