Most of us prefer the cool interiors when the sun is blazing in all its glory. At this time, venturing outdoors does not sound appealing at all. Cool indoor environment, a cold drink in hand, and Netflix to occupy time…that’s the dream situation. Nevertheless, sometimes even the best-laid plans get thrown out of the window. That is precisely what happens when the air conditioner goes out. The wrench it throws in your plans is totally unexpected. However, not all situations of AC not working are dire.
When the air conditioner goes out, there are a couple of things that you can do to make most of the situation. That, my dear, is precisely our area of concern today.
What To Do When The AC Is Not Working
For the sake of convenience, we shall divide the things to do when the AC breaks down into two categories. These are :
1. Things To Check In Regards To The Air Conditioner.
2. Things To Do To Stay Comfortable.
Things To Check In Regards To The Air Conditioner
Before calling the HVAC technician, it is wise to check a few things with respect to the air conditioner. These include:
1. Check The Power Supply – It is quite possible that the cooling unit or the air conditioner has no power supply. It could happen due to several reasons like:
2. Power Outage In Your Area – The power supply in your area could be down. If that is the case, no electrical appliance in your house will work. In case you still have any doubts, you can always contact your electric company to confirm the occurrence. When there is a power outage, you will have to wait until the electricity is restored. Once it is, your AC will start cooling the house.
3. Tripped Circuit Breaker – Whenever there is a short circuit or a power surge, the air conditioner’s circuit breaker will trip, effectively cutting off electricity. This is a safety mechanism built to prevent the AC from frying. Pushing the circuit breaker switch to the “Up” or “On” position will restore the power supply to the AC. A tripped circuit breaker is not an untoward incident. Nevertheless, if the circuit breaker trips again as soon as the AC starts, it is best to unplug the AC from the power source and call the HVAC technician.
4. Unplugged AC – It may happen that somebody in the house either intentionally or accidentally unplugged the AC. The best thing to do would be to confirm from your family members whether anybody unplugged the AC. If not, plug it back in. Maybe it was disconnected unintentionally.
5. Check The Thermostat – If the power supply is all in order, have a peek at the thermostat. If there is no display on the thermostat, it may have run out of batteries. If that is the case, replace the old batteries with new ones. Once done, your thermostat will be up and communicating with the AC once again.
The other possibility is that someone changed the thermostat settings. If there are small kids in the house, it may happen that they fiddled with the thermostat without realizing its consequences. Correcting the settings to the desired ones will take care of cooling.
Things To Do To Stay Comfortable
If none of the above-mentioned checks work, you have no option but to call the HVAC technician. If they are free, they may come promptly. Nonetheless, it being summer, there are many more people having AC problems due to one reason or the other. So the technician may take some time to arrive at your place. In the meantime, you don’t have to sweat. Here are some things that you can do to stay comfortable:
1. Draw The Blinds – If it’s the day, the heat and consequently the temperature outdoors is only going to increase further. You don’t want that heat to infiltrate your home. To keep it away, draw the blinds. Almost all of us have curtains or blinds over the windows. Though, for a majority, their purpose is to create an ambiance. But they serve another purpose as well, and that is preventing the outdoor heat from creeping indoors. They act as a barrier and do not let heat enter through the windows.
2. Switch Off Unnecessary Appliances – Electronic appliances produce heat. When the AC is not working, the cumulative heat from all the plugged appliances will rapidly increase the indoor temperature. Under the circumstances, it would be best to switch off all the unnecessary appliances like the dishwasher, dryer, oven, toaster, etc. While at it, switch off any excessive lights as well. The darker your home, the cooler it will be.
3. Switch On The Fan – If you have ceiling fans or pedestal fans, now would be the most appropriate time to switch them on. They will circulate the indoor air. As the air moves, it will make you feel cooler than when it stays still.
Bottomline
As long as you have ensured regular preventive maintenance of your AC, you have nothing much to worry about until and unless your system is a decade or more old. Before calling the technician, do a few basic things like checking the thermostat and power supply. If it’s something as small as that, which is quite often the case, calling the repair tech is not important. If it’s anything other than that, call your local HVAC contractor ASAP.
Aztil Air Conditioning provides installation, repairs, and maintenance of commercial and residential HVAC systems. If your residence or commercial building is in West Palm Beach, Florida, we are your best option. A reputed HVAC contractor, Aztil AC has been serving the people of South Florida since 1981. Our team of certified and talented technicians can work with any brand and age of HVAC system. Our offices are open 24/7, so call us anytime to book an appointment. You can reach out to us at +1-888-729-8452. We are looking forward to serving you in whatever capacity we can.
