Quick Steps to Stay Cool if Your HVAC Goes on the Fritz
Your home’s HVAC system helps maintain a comfortable temperature in the summer and winter when temperatures soar and plummet. Sometimes those machines break and leave you sweating in the summer or freezing in the winter.
You may find it helpful to create a plan for cooling your home if the HVAC system goes on the fritz or if there’s a power outage that makes it impossible to run your air conditioner. Here are a few tips to keep in mind that can help you stay cool when you need HVAC repair.
Get an Inspection Each Year
One of the best appointments you can make to reduce the inconvenience and surprise of a broken air conditioner or HVAC system is your yearly HVAC inspection. An overall home health inspection should find common problems that might otherwise take you by surprise in the hottest months of the year.
Issues like dirty filters, thermostat malfunctions, blown fuses and breaker problems, and mechanical breakdowns will eventually happen to almost every air conditioning system. However, calling an HVAC company that works with ductwork, in crawlspaces, and around insulation may help you avoid an unexpected breakdown.
Shut the Blinds and Curtains
One of the most effective ways to prevent heat from invading your house is by closing the blinds and curtains around your home. Features like awnings can help you reduce the amount of sunlight and heat that enters your home, and blinds and curtains can help reduce the heat even more.
According to Consumer Reports, it’s important to keep blinds closed when they’re on the side of your house that gets direct sunlight.
“The ability of curtains and drapes to reduce heat gain depends on the fabric type (closed or open weave) and color. Studies have found that medium-colored draperies with white plastic backings can reduce heat gain by 33 percent.”
You can employ this technique to help keep your home cool even if you don’t need an air conditioning replacement or repair and your system is in perfect working order.
Consider Upgrading Your Insulation
You might think that insulation is only good for the winter when you need to keep your home warm and keep the cold outside, but insulation is actually important for all seasons. In the summer, heat will try to invade your home, and it will succeed if you don’t have good insulation.
If your attic lacks insulation, you might find that your home heats up amazingly quickly when the air conditioner or HVAC system isn’t working. Your attic can act like an oven as the summer sun bakes the roof and creates an unbearably hot room. Unfortunately, that heat can make its way down into the main part of your home, which can create very uncomfortable conditions in the summer or when you’re waiting on HVAC repair.
You might consider insulation replacement if your home is old or if it was built before modern insulation was installed. You can also add an insulation inspection to your yearly home inspection, so you’re aware of any weaknesses or areas where replacement might be a good idea.
Get HVAC Help from Advanced Home Comfort
Don’t risk a dangerously hot summer day turning deadly because of a broken HVAC system. Let the professionals of Advanced Home Comfort perform a home health inspection before those problems occur. Contact us today for more information on our HVAC repair and HVAC replacement services.
