"I want my furnace replaced!" Frigid temps keep heating repair companies busy



GREENFIELD -- As the temperatures go down, the call volumes go up -- which made for a pretty busy Thursday, January 5th for heating system technicians.



The winter season begins in August at Tom's Dependable Heating & Cooling, as some people prepare for the cold weather to come.

The bitter cold is sticking around in southeastern Wisconsin, and those who help with the heat are busy.

"You get customers that call that say 'I want my furnace replaced' -- at midnight. They'll turn this off, they'll turn this on, and what we tell them to do is watch the cycle on their furnace," said Michael Yokofich, Tom's Dependable Heating & Cooling.

Yokofich is an HVAC technician.



"You can empty your truck... sometimes in one day in parts. It's just, it's amazing how many calls you can go on," said Yokofich.

Michael Yokofich



Yokofich explained, homeowners can help themselves by managing their heating system maintenance.

"As simple as changing your filter properly. Changing the batteries in your thermostat," said Yokofich.

For more significant issues which require a technician's attention, he suggested callers prepare their patience as each of five technicians make their way to as many as a dozen calls or more in one day.

"Sometimes we get so swamped, if you call it'll say 'sorry, we're overburdened with phone calls right now but please leave your name and message,'" said Yokofich.



Yokofich also suggested that he and other technicians don't want homeowners to play doctor with their heating systems. But there are measures those homeowners can take which can help mitigate both problems, and costs and the techs will offer their guidance.