Finding a good professional to install or repair an air conditioning unit has become almost impossible in Spain, according to José María Rey, a company manager with more than 19 years of experience in the sector. Rey said breakdowns and new installations are piling up so fast that his company already has around 100 people on a waiting list, calling the situation "very intense."
Demand for air conditioning repair and installation surges especially during heatwaves, but the supply of qualified technicians has not kept pace. The shortage is so severe that professionals in the trade have started calling themselves "unicorns." Rey said a good plumber, a good electrician or a good air conditioning technician has become a unicorn today. He linked the shortage, combined with customers' lack of technical knowledge, to a rise in poor practices and inflated electricity bills.
The mistake that drives up costs
One of the most widespread and costly habits, Rey said, is misuse of the thermostat. He warned against the common practice of arriving home and immediately setting the unit to its lowest temperature, such as 16 degrees Celsius, in the belief that it will cool the room faster. He called this the key error, explaining that it forces the compressor to run at maximum power continuously, creating an unnecessary spike in energy consumption.
Instead, Rey recommends keeping a stable, constant temperature, suggesting a working setting of around 25 to 27 degrees Celsius. Modern units equipped with Inverter technology adjust their power output to hold that set temperature without repeatedly switching on and off, which optimizes energy use. Rey said he personally never turns his unit off, even though it adds around 60 to 70 euros to his monthly bill, because for that amount his home stays comfortably cool.
According to Rey, an air conditioning unit runs at maximum power for the first hour after being switched on, then shifts into a maintenance mode that costs around 4 cents per hour to run.
The odyssey of finding a professional
The lack of generational renewal is one of the sector's biggest problems, Rey said. Starting a business in skilled trades is full of obstacles, and Rey acknowledged going "deeply bankrupt" three separate times, which he attributed to not knowing how to run a company, not knowing how to manage staff, and trying to take on more than he could handle.
His experience contrasts with that of Alejandro Gin, a young technician who became self-employed in Madrid just six months ago after nearly a decade working as an employee. Gin started from zero with no clients, backed by an initial investment of around 25,000 euros from a business partner.
Rey said retaining talent is not simply a matter of salary. Alongside a decent wage, he believes staff should be allowed to work freely and feel as comfortable as possible in their jobs. His company introduced an intensive working day more than ten years ago, a measure he credits with giving employees a better work-life balance, preventing the feeling of being at work all day, and building loyalty and commitment within the team.
Beware of fraudulent repairs
Intrusion by unqualified workers and dishonest repair practices are another major problem in the sector, Rey said. He was blunt in his warning to consumers, saying that 70 percent of people deceive customers, a pattern he said he has verified many times over.
He said it is common to come across false diagnoses designed to inflate repair bills. Many technicians without the proper qualifications to repair units, he explained, simply diagnose a serious fault and push customers to replace the entire appliance. Rey described cases where customers were told the compressor or the circuit board had failed, only for him to later find as an outside technician that the real problem was a faulty condenser or a burnt cable. He urged consumers to always seek out proven professionals with strong references to avoid being misled.
