3 Tips to Help Keep Cool If Your Air Conditioner Breaks

The days are getting longer, the temperature is going up, and your family’s air conditioner just broke, what can you do to keep your family cool?  Here are a few “Expertly Better” Tips which won’t cost anything!

• Close and turn-off everything!
  1. If your air conditioner just broke, your home should still be relatively cool with low humidity. The first, and best thing to do is try and keep that comfortable air in your home for as long as possible
  2. Make sure all windows and doors are shut. Also, close all blinds and curtains: you want to try to keep as much sunlight out of your home as possible. Summertime heat primarily gets into your home two ways, through air leaks and sunlight. The longer you keep those two things out, the longer your home will stay cool!
  3. Also turn off as many lights as you can (for lights you need to keep on, try LED light bulbs which produce a fraction of the heat) and avoid using appliances or electronics which produce a lot of heat

• When it becomes unbearably warm.
  1. Once all of the remaining comfortable cool air is used up, you still may not want start opening up windows. If no one is going to be home during the day, it may be best to keep all windows closed with the blinds drawn. Again, try to keep as much of the warm summer air and sunlight out as possible.
  2. Once you get home at the end of the day, it’s time to finally start opening up windows. If the outside air is still uncomfortably warm, set up any fans to blow air OUT of the home. One the outside air starts to cool off, turn the fans around to blow air INTO the home.
  3. In the days before air conditioning systems became common, homes were built with “whole home fans,” which were large fans connected from the home into the attic. When turned on, these fans would pull all of the warm air out of the home and blow it into the attic, allowing a home to quickly cool. Depending on your home’s attic access, you may be able, with a simple box fan, to create your own “whole home fan.”
  4. If you have to be home during the day, try to open windows on the North side of the home. As this side will not receive any direct sunlight (think about moss), and it will lessen any heat gain on your home. Also, if you have a box/window fan, you may want to set this to blow air OUT of the home.

• Water is your friend!
  1. Drink it, a lot of it. Avoid soda, coffee, and alcohol.
  2. Wear it. A washcloth of cold water applied to the forehead or back of the neck, can be effective in removing excess heat.
  3. Shower in it. A cool shower before bed can help to lower your body’s temperature and get relaxed before bed. It also helps you to have a good night’s sleep even in the heat!

Keep cool and enjoy the summer! And remember, when you need an air conditioner repaired in your Camden County home, or an air conditioner repaired in your Gloucester County, home, we will have our technicians out in no time at all!