A malfunctioning air conditioner is the last thing anyone wants to deal with in the summer. However, in the event your air conditioner breaks down, there are several ways to stay cool while waiting for your residential AC technician to arrive.
Here are some quick temporary hacks to help keep things cool at home:
Stay downstairs. Since hot air is lighter than cold air, it will quickly rise to the upper levels of your home. Until your HVAC technician arrives, it’s best to stay downstairs.
Close the blinds or curtains. Closing your blinds and curtains will prevent unwanted solar heat from entering your home through the windows and help lower indoor temperatures by up to 20 degrees.
Turn off lights and appliances. In addition to uncovered windows, light bulbs and electronic appliances are also sources of heat that will increase indoor temperatures. In particular, you should avoid running large appliances like washing machines and dishwashers if possible until after your residential and commercial AC maintenance contractor fixes your air conditioner.
Avoid using fans when the temperature is higher than 95 °F. Turning on your fans in temperatures higher than 95 °F can actually make things worse. On hot, humid summer days when sweat evaporates slower, fans blow warm air that can make you feel hotter.
Take advantage of crosswinds to ventilate your home. To improve indoor ventilation, two or more fans should be placed on the coolest side of your house (usually the northern side) facing in, and on the opposite side facing out of your windows. To make sure cool air is redirected into and warm air is pushed out of your home, an equal number of fans should be placed on both sides.
Air Products & Services, a company with more than four decades of experience, offers a wide range of professional HVAC services, including AC troubleshooting system services. To get a free estimate on a new AC unit, call us at (818) 989-2030 or fill out this form. We serve homeowners in Tarzana, as well as surrounding communities in CA.