How To Stay Cool If Your AC Breaks

June 13, 2020

An air conditioner has the important job of keeping your home comfortable. With the right care and consistent service, your cooling system can work reliably well. Problems can happen, though, and cause your AC to completely shut down. You should be sure to call an HVAC repair team to fix the issue as soon as possible. In the meantime, homeowners can take a few steps to stay cool.

Open Doors and Windows

If the air outside is cooler than the air inside, opening windows and doors could be a good idea. Be mindful of the weather and any pets in the house. Also, remember that you’ll get cooler air after the sun sets. When opening doors and windows during the day, flies and other bugs could enter. Therefore, be sure the screens are in good shape. Purchasing upgrades might be a good idea, too.

Keep Shades Down

When the sun does come up, lowering the shades seems advisable. Allowing the hot sun’s rays to enter the home will drive up the temperature. Using shades or blinds will limit the sunlight, and this naturally has a cooling effect. Take this point as a recommendation to maintain the shades and blinds. Blinds with broken sections allow sunlight to enter. You want a proper and effective barrier to keep the sunlight out.

Run Your Fans

Hopefully, you have several decent fans in the home. They can circulate the air and add a level of cooling for better comfort. Unfortunately, fans can’t “create cold air” like an air conditioner. However, they create the “illusion” of a lower temperature by moving air around the interior. Also, if you change the fan direction to counterclockwise, the unit will operate surprisingly. The fan will pull the hot air from the lower portion of the home and circulate the cooler air. While not a perfect substitute for an air conditioner, the fan does provide a great comfort boost this way.

Check the Thermostat

The thermostat might be a little higher than you realize. You didn’t turn the furnace on, so why is the heat up? Maybe there is another source causing temperatures to rise. Are you cooking things on the stove or the oven? The heat from the kitchen could contribute to increases in temperatures throughout the home. Make sure they are shut off and think about using the microwave or ordering out instead. Doing so might drive up the household budget up for the short-term, but keeping cool might take precedence right now.

Showering and Toweling

Hopping into the shower might be a good idea. If you have a pool outside, that might even be a better plan. Most homes, however, do not. The bathtub or shower could serve as decent stand-ins for a pool. Of course, you cannot jump into the tub or shower back-and-forth all day, but you can keep a damp towel handy. Running cool water on a towel and using the towel to cool off might provide a short-term solution. When it comes to keeping cool, every little bit counts. Sometimes a towel with ice rolled up in it and placed around your neck can provide some cooling comfort.

Leaving the Premises

In a worst-case scenario, leaving home will be the best solution. As much as doing so seems both inconvenient and expensive, if there are safety risks involved with living inside a home without air conditioning, you’ll need to find another place to stay.

Depending on the circumstances, a homeowner’s insurance might pay for hotel fees. Routine problems with the air conditioner, however, would doubtfully fall under homeowner’s coverage. Weather-related incidents or natural disasters may very well fall under covered events. Regarding maintenance issues, preventive care may be the best solution.

Annual Maintenance and Inspections

An annual inspection can reveal any problems developing with the air conditioner. Normal wear does cause potential troubles with the air conditioner, as parts require replacing. Other issues, such as unexpected wiring problems, could shut the AC down unexpectedly. A thorough inspection could uncover these issues in advance. Scheduling an appointment for inspection before summer arrives would be a wise option. Spring is a great time for this. Looking into maintenance agreements might help, too.

At JAMCO Heating & Air Conditioning, we proudly provide air conditioning and heating services for clients in Deptford, NJ, and the surrounding areas. Since 1986, we’ve delivered not only repair and maintenance work but also sheet metal and duct mini-split services. Call JAMCO Heating & Air Conditioning today to learn more about all the ways we can help with your climate comfort needs.

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