Now, let me put you in one: It is a very hot summer afternoon. Suddenly, the air conditioner in your small room goes off and you are confined to a small, hot room where you contemplate the meaning of life. Now, what would you do? Rush immediately into panic and fling open the window? Not quite as yet. Many of them may soon get down to calling up the emergency ac service. Following is a list of things you can do quickly yourself before calling them:.
First, check your thermostat. Most of the AC problems are because of an incidental change. Probably the temperature setting is set too high, or set-off function is enabled. Sometimes even power surges foul the setting, too. Organize the simple things first before getting overwhelmed. Check the batteries; a dead thermostat battery can have your home changing from cold to hot in no time. Replace them, and voilà, she’s up again before one can say “chilly breeze.”
No luck? Perhaps the circuit breaker.
And the problem was as often as not something so stupidly simple as a tripped breaker. Look for your electric panel, check the AC breaker-if it’s ‘off’ flip it ‘on’ and ta-da.
Now, if none of that has worked and you are as stuck as a wagging tongue is to ice in winter, then it’s time to unleash your Sherlock Holmes and have a look at the air filters. For sometimes that scurvy dog of a clogged filter has been behind all the symptoms of your air conditioning travails. A filter plugged full of dust and dander chokes the life out of your AC unit. Take it out and hold it up to the light. If you can’t see through it, clean or replace it.
A dusty process, it may at least help with the temperature. Now, to the brass tacks of it all for you phony HVAC technicians: check the outside AC unit-make sure it is not covered in leaves or clippings. Clear the debris off and give it some space-even machines need personal space. If you’re adventurous, check the condensation line; these things can become clogged from inside with algae, causing shutdowns. Locate and rinse, like a spa day for your AC.
Is your AC still being uncooperative?
Time to don that thinking cap and think that maybe, just maybe, the problem lies with the refrigerants. If your AC acted its tough life by hardly pumping cold air before it gave up the ghost, a refrigerant leak just might be the gremlin in the machine. But here, my friend, you step into the big leagues: lions and tigers and leaks-oh my.
That is usually where DIY turns into contractor work. If you have tried home remedies and you still need cool air, then it is the time to ring the emergency AC service. That is what they live for, such desperate calls. They will arrive at your doorstep, dressed in their superhero costume of HVAC technicians, with all tools and knowledge to resurrect your AC unit from its deathbed.
Keep cool, stay calm, and don’t overpay to fix those simple things. You will feel better knowing you try all avenues before calling in the pros. These repairs will get you over until the pros come. Bookmark this article and inspect your AC, making sure those cool breezes keep coming.
Cool Down While Waiting: Wait Patiently for Help to Come
Imagine the heat; at worst times, worst happens, and your AC fails. The sweat trickles from you, having melted into the couch. The fear is that you just might meltdown. Panic sets in, but did you call emergency AC service? As you wait for such a service here is how to keep cool.
Switch on the lights first, as they generate heat. Open curtains if it is daytime unless the sun is heating the room too much or else keep it shut tight.
And the fans? Like a cool breeze on a hot beach. If you have ceiling fans, turn them to the left.
They will puff off the hot air so that you will feel cooler. What about those box fans or oscillating fans? Set them as chess pieces. Keep them opposite your windows for pushing out the hot air. Want to try it? Place a bowl with icy cold water in front the fan. You shall have your very own homemade air conditioner.
Hydrate! Treat water as liquid gold. On the other side, avoid sodas and coffee-they deprive the organism of all liquids. Everyone knows that any cold drink cools the organism, soothing it during hot weather.
Check your clothes: light material like cotton or linen is cooler; do not wear jeans and sweaters-it is way better to be seen in a toga made from bedding than in hot, heavy attire. Now, with water, but not to drink this time. Take cold water, soak a handkerchief in it, and let it hang from your neck. Your body’s like some lousy old engine. All it needs sometimes is just cool down before it gets running again. Now, bathrooms and kitchens. It sounds wacky, but don’t cook! Running your oven is like lighting a bonfire in your kitchen.
Stick to meals that require no heat: salad, sandwiches, maybe some chilling fruit that makes it feel like a pampered vacation. Got a bag of frozen peas? Lay that dynamo on your forehead. Ah, sweet relief. Ah, yes, and then there is that best friend-a shower. Any time you feel like it, you can refresh yourself there. Let the water go down the body, refreshing you like summer rain, easing the wilted feeling. Even when, in the morning, it may seem like noon, it is necessary to sleep, so rest. Keep your bedroom cool with fans. Use only light blankets or sheets-not heavy comforters. If you have to, sleep on the floor-it will be cooler, as in a cave.
And when it’s hot, really hot, then don’t be a hero: go to the mall and see air conditioning in its natural environment. Or sit around in a library and read on what passes for nature’s best attempt at artificial cool. Of course, there’s always a coffee shop in which to get something cold and luxuriate in the climate-controlled atmosphere.
Above all, retain a sense of humor. Laugh at it. In no time, the AC technician will come and save the day. Much later, when things return to normal, you will laugh your head off, thinking about how coolly you sailed through. So keep your head high-relief’s on its way!