What to Do When Your A/C Stops Working
Heatwaves happen during the summer. It’s not fun, but hey — it happens!
When temperatures begin to reach the 90s, your HVAC system will kick itself into overdrive. This is when many A/C units will begin to break down, especially those that haven’t been serviced recently.
So when you have an A/C unit that decides to break down during a heatwave, you better know what to do in order to keep your family and your home as cool as possible.
1. Call to Have it Fixed
This is the most obvious step, but it’s one that we have to mention first. Simply call your local HVAC company (hint, hint) and request an HVAC technician to come to your home to service and repair your A/C unit.
The sooner you call, the sooner you’ll be able to escape the heat. So make sure you call a licensed and insured HVAC company ASAP (wink, wink).
2. Curtain Call
Have you ever sat in direct sunlight inside of your home, even when the air conditioner was on?
Still hot, isn’t it? Sitting in direct sunlight won’t just heat you up, it will warm the floor, furniture, and anything else it sheds its light on. Therefore, you should try and keep the sunlight OUT of the house.
Draw your curtains closed or put the blinds down (and close them). This should bring the temperature of the room down by a few degrees. You don’t have to close all of the curtains and blinds in your house, just the ones on sun-facing windows (which will change throughout the day as the sun rises and then sets).
3. Fans of Mine
You know those ceiling fans that you barely ever turn on? Well, now’s the time to put them to good use. Before you turn them on, grab a step ladder and put yourself in a good position so you can reach the switch toward the base of the fan.
Flip this switch so the fan blades will turn in the clockwise direction — this means the air will be pushed downward. Then turn the fan on to your desired speed. This will help air circulate throughout the rooms in your home.
In addition to your ceiling fans, utilize your attic fan at night. This fan will pull cool air from your attic into your home. However, avoid the attic fan during the daytime as most attic spaces are warmer than the actual inside of your house.
4. Cold Drinks, Anyone?
One of the best (and most delicious) ways to cool yourself down during a heatwave is from the inside out. As you wait for the HVAC technician to arrive at your home, make yourself an ice cold drink (don’t be shy with the ice).
While you can pour yourself a tall glass of lemonade, iced tea, or soda — the best option is always water. When temperatures reach unsafe levels, your body is more likely to become dehydrated. Therefore, you shouldn’t just be focused on cooling down, you should also be focused on hydrating your body.
Bonus Tip: Take a cold shower before you pour yourself a cold drink. This is an iconic duo that will have you feeling relief from the heat for a short while.
5. Keep Appliance Use to a Minimum
The appliances in your home like the stove, oven, dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer will each emit heat as they’re being used. As a result, you want to avoid using these appliances altogether.
We know that you have to cook dinner and clean your home, so if you really need to use any of these appliances, use them after the sun goes down when the temperature drops a few degrees.
The stove and oven are two you should avoid completely, as they can raise the temperature of your home by quite a bit. We recommend stocking up and burgers and hot dogs and taking your cooking talents outside to the grill.
Keep your home cool and your belly full!
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When the A/C stops working many people will begin to panic.
However, you have this blog pulled up on your browser and you’re ready to handle this emergency situation like a pro!
When you realize you have to complete the first step on this list, make sure you give Advanced Home Services a call. Our Idaho Falls AC repair technicians know how awful this scenario can be, so let us get your A/C unit back up and running as fast as possible.
