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Phoenix Temps Reach Record High; Techs Work to Beat
the Heat Phoenix set a new record yesterday, as its temperature reached 110 degrees (or higher) for the 29th day this year. As the entire city battles the heat, shops provided some tips on how they're dealing with the high temperatures while on the road conducting mobile installs and repairs. For both repairs and replacements, most recommend cooling the glass before working on it. "It's always best when the temps get this hot to cool the glass down before you work on it," says Dennis Riggs, owner of Novus Windshield Repair in Phoenix. For Robert Wagner of Foothills Auto Glass in Phoenix, who runs a replacement shop, he tries to keep the new windshields out of the sun as much as possible. "Leave [the windshield] on your truck or vehicle until the last possible minute," he says. Likewise, he tries to conduct his work in the shade when possible. Shop owners also warn their technicians to drink lots of water to avoid dehydration. "Drink a lot of water, and don't drink other stuff like soda," warns Wagner. Karen Craft of Mirage Glass and Mirror, a commercial and residential glass shop, agrees. "[Techs] just have to stop and take breaks every 15 minutes and drink a lot of water and Gatorade to replenish the potassium," she says. Mirage also starts its workday early at 4:30 a.m. and ends the day at 1:30 p.m., to avoid being out on a job during the hottest hours of the day. Once each job is done, Riggs has his own tradition for dealing with the heat. "You do one job and then you get back into the car and turn the air conditioning on full-blast," he says. He notes, though, that this method really only works for individual jobs. "If you do a fleet account, it gets pretty hot," he warns. Wagner and Riggs are both long-time residents of Phoenix, but still haven't acclimated to the heat. "I've been doing it for 20 years, but I don't think you ever get used to it," Riggs says. "You just deal with it." Wagner agrees. "I've lived here all my life," he says. "It's pretty warm, but there's not much you can do when it comes down to it." Need more info and analysis about the issues? |
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