A stretch of days near 90 degrees have made air conditioners a hot commodity at local stores.
"You need three consecutive hot nights and the people can't stand it," Michael E. Hashin Jr., an employee of Reliable Home Supply, Minersville, said Friday. He said they sold 10 by Friday afternoon with about 35 sold last week.
The business is owned by his father, Michael E. Hashin Sr. It has been at 217-223 Sunbury St., Minersville, for 66 years.
A wide variety of air conditioners are available for purchase. They include 5,000 British thermal unit models and up to 25,000 Btu models.
The 5,000 rated unit will cool a 10-by-12-foot room, Hashin said.
People should know the dimensions of their window and size to help select the right air conditioner. An outlet within close vicinity of where the air conditioner will be installed is recommended. Otherwise, an extension cord is needed because cords on air conditioners are not long, Hashin said.
If you want to purchase a unit more than 15,000 Btu, a 220-volt line is needed in your house to support the air conditioner.
Most homes have 110-volt lines, he said.
Business has been good, Hashin said.
"Hopefully, it will keep staying busy," he said.
Customers who do not want to install the air conditioners can pay an extra fee. For more information, call 570-544-2555.
The story is much the same at the Lowe's in Pottsville.
Jared Moyer, department manager of plumbing, said he personally loaded three air conditioners into vehicles before 6 p.m. Friday. He said the store has plenty of air conditioners in stock.
The store has air conditioners ranging from 5,000 to 25,000 Btu. Moyer said on an average day they can sell between 20 to 25.
People are buying the new appliance for a variety of reasons.
"Mostly it's because they don't have one," or are wanting to add to a room, he said.
At Home Depot in Saint Clair, air conditioners are also a hot item.
"We have been selling quite a few of them," David Wilson, employee, said. He did not know how many were sold this week.
"We've had a few (customers) that are replacing older units," he said.
He said plenty of air conditioners are in stock to meet demand.
This week, temperatures are projected in the 80s except for today when the temperature could reach 90. Rain is possible every day except Friday and Saturday this week, according to the National Weather Service website, weather.gov.
"It's going to continue to be very warm and humid this mid week," said Greg DeVoir, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, State College.