An AC system will work harder when the temperatures rise and if the system is not regularly maintained it will be more likely to fail. Sadly, many homeowners ignore the servicing requirements of their systems until something goes wrong. This can violate the terms of the warranty and it can lead to long periods of downtime. When the heat becomes oppressive, the HVAC companies tend to be busier and it may be difficult to schedule a visit. So, if you find yourself in this unfortunate position, here are five tips to keep your home cooler until the AC system is fixed.
1. Use the Cooler Night Air
When the sun has set, the temperatures will drop naturally and this should be the time when you draw fresh cool air into your home. If it’s safe to sleep with the windows open, this can be a valid strategy but you may need screens or bug deterrents to keep pesky critters away. Adding a box fan to each room can help you to circulate that cooler air to make sleeping conditions more tolerable.
The best way to cool a room is to create a cross breeze by only opening windows in rooms that you need to cool. Avoiding running attic fans without opening windows because you may extinguish the pilot lights on your water heater.
2. Use the Ceiling Fans
Warm air rises naturally and a ceiling fan will speed up this process by pulling warm air to the ceiling and circulating the cooler air underneath. The fans must be spinning clockwise for cooling and a box fan can be placed in a window to pull hot air out of a room. When the room is cool, close that window and place the box fan on the flow. The fan position can be adjusted to blow air directly into the room and the resulting breeze will feel pleasantly cool.
3. Don’t Cook Indoors
The oven and stove top can generate a lot of ambient heat during cooking that can spread far beyond the kitchen. This will raise the temperature in the entire home and this can be avoided if you don’t cook indoors. This may sound impossible, but there are some interesting options to consider.
First, you can cook meals in advance at night, when the temperature is cooler, and then reheat in the microwave during the day. Another option is to use cooking appliances that don’t generate much heat like an air fryer, Instant Pot pressure cooking, or an induction hob. Finally, if you have a deck or yard, you can always grill outdoors or eat sandwiches until the AC is fixed.
4. Use a Dehumidifier
Many people don’t know that their air conditioner acts as a dehumidifier because it removes some moisture from the indoor air. This is not as effective as a dedicated dehumidifier system, but the extra moisture makes the air feel warmer.
Keeping the humidity under control will improve the comfort levels in select rooms. If you have a smaller dehumidifier, you may need a larger unit or multiple small units to dehumidify an entire floor. So, it’s a better idea to focus on improving conditions in smaller rooms and keeping those doors closed. If family activities are limited to one room until repairs are made, this can be a cost effective temporary solution.
5. Close Up in the Morning
As we mentioned earlier, cooler night air can be wonderful when you need to cool a room. But, as soon as the sun rises you need to make sure that the windows are closed to keep the warm air out. It’s also a great idea to close any drapes, blinds, and window coverings on windows that are facing the sun. This will prevent the sunlight from heating up the air and soft furnishings that can hold onto that heat for the rest of the day. Towards the end of the day, this can become a little stifling, but the alternative is a hotter home and most people want to avoid excessive heat.
Exploring Other Options
If you’ve scheduled a repair visit, but you have a few days to wait there are some other options to explore to improve your comfort levels. They are:
Stay Hydrated
We perspire more when the weather is warmer, even if we are not participating in exercise or other strenuous activities. So, it’s important to stay hydrated with plenty of fresh clean drinking water to deal with the heat.
Visit the Mall
Or any other location that has an AC system that will make you feel cooler. The best time to be out of a home with no air conditioning is before 3 pm when the weather is hottest. Go and do some window shopping or nurse a few drinks until the heat of the day has passed and you’re ready to go home.
Go for a Swim
This is a great way to feel cooler, but take to stay out of the sun to avoid sunburn during the hottest parts of the day. Taking a cold shower at home can help, but the relief is temporary and this can waste a lot of water.
In Conclusion
We hope that these cooling tips are useful, but in an ideal world, you wouldn’t need to use them. The best way to keep your home cool throughout the summer is to invest in regularly scheduled maintenance for your AC system. A well maintained system is less likely to fail when you need it most and it may be a requirement to stay in compliance with the warranty.
During a service visit, the HVAC technician will check the system for performance and efficiency and identify potential issues. When these issues are fixed at an earlier stage, they are less expensive to solve than major problems later. Well maintained systems consume less energy which will lower the utility bills over the lifespan of the system. They tend to last longer too and when you consider the cost of a brand new AC system, it makes good sense to get a few extra years out of your investment.
If you need to schedule some essential maintenance for your HVAC system, contact your local heating and cooling specialist.