Air-conditioner repairers sweat Hanoi heat wave
As temperatures topped 40C day after day, many old air-conditioners broke down, with repairers falling days behind in making calls.
Pham Thi Thuy Loan, from Cau Giay District’s Xuan Thuy District, said, “I can do nothing but pray for cooler weather and that our air-conditioner keeps working."
Many families in Hanoi have rushed electrics goods stores to buy new air-conditioners, but have to wait days to have them installed.
“We bought an air-conditioner at a major mart in the city a week ago but it has yet to be installed,” said Nguyen Van Thanh from Phu Do Village in My Dinh District.
“When we called them they said we had to wait longer because they are too busy."
Nguyen Van Truong, owner of an air-conditioner repair shop in Thanh Xuan District’s Ha Dinh Street, said the shop could not handle the 50 to 60 calls a day it has been receiving and is not taking on any more work until the backlog can be cleared.
“We don’t have enough staff to deal with the demand for repairs," Truong said. "When the temperature was 34-35 Celsius, our staff had to work from 5am until 10pm, and even midnight. When it topped 40C, we had to cut back on jobs rather than make staff go out at noon. It's just too hot."
