7 Ways to Stay Cool While Waiting For Air Conditioner Repairs

June 20, 2020

Most of us rely upon our HVAC unit to keep us cool in the summer. When the AC goes out, it can get quite uncomfortable. You and your family are going to have to find ways to stay cool while you wait. Here are seven ways to keep cool while waiting for your AC repair.

1. Turn On The Fans

When your AC isn’t working, the next best thing is to use the fans you have in your home. Your ceiling fans will circulate the air in your home, providing a breeze. Use both ceiling fans and stand-alone fans. Just sit in front of the fan when you’re feeling hot, and you’ll feel cool in no time.

Even when your AC is fixed again, you should utilize your fans more often anyway. Fans use less energy than your HVAC unit. That means you will see a decrease in your utility bills when you use fans instead of AC. Plus, a fan is more appropriate when you only need to cool off one room instead of your whole home. Fans can also be utilized with an AC unit to cool your home further, as they complement each other.

2. Cold Food and Drinks

If you want to stay cool, you should think about the things you put in your body. You don’t want to eat hot soup, barbecue, coffee, or other hot items. Instead, eat cold sandwiches and salads. Even more, you should eat and drink things that are made to be freezing, such as Popsicles and iced tea. These items will help lower your body temperature and make you more comfortable. That’s because cold food goes right to your core. Then, it’s distributed throughout your body. Of course, be careful about eating too much fat (like ice cream). Excess weight can only make you feel heavier.

3. Get In The Water

If you are like many people, you prefer hot showers compared to cold showers. However, this isn’t helpful when you are hot. Turn the temperature down before you hop in the shower. Even if it isn’t cold, you should lower it to be lukewarm. Hot water increases blood flow. When blood flow increases, it means your internal temperature will be warmer. Cool water will help regulate blood circulation, not forcing your body to go into overdrive. It also doesn’t hurt that the breeze will help cool you off more than usual when you are still wet. Cold showers not only keep you cool, but they can also help people with dry skin. Warm water tends to dry out the skin and even exasperate skin issues. Cold showers also help you reduce the amount of money you need to spend to run the water heater.

You don’t have to take a cold shower. You can also jump into the pool, play with water guns, or run in the sprinklers. Just remember that if you are playing in the water outside, you need to wear sunscreen.

4. Use Curtains

Curtains can be used for privacy and style, but they are there to keep the sun out of your home. When the sun gets into your home, it can fade your furniture and make your house hotter. On hot, sunny days, you should make a point to close the curtains in your home. If your curtains are particularly thin, you may want to update your current curtains for something a little thicker. There are even blackout curtains specifically designed to keep the sun out and keep your home energy efficient. You will be cooler, and you will notice a decrease in your utility bills as well.

5. Don’t Cook Inside

You need to eat. However, you don’t necessarily need to cook. If you cook inside, you are setting your stove to high temperatures or turning on the hot burners. This will heat not only your food but also your home. You need to look for other methods.

First, you can always cook outdoors. Have a barbecue. You will be able to cook most of your favorite items on the grill outside. When you come inside, the home won’t be affected by the heat. Plus, summer is the perfect time to have a barbecue with family and friends.

Finally, you can always order out. Instead of turning on the oven, you can have a restaurant cook your food in their kitchen and bring it to you. Sure, this is a little more expensive, but it is worth it to stay cool.

6. Improve Insulation

The insulation in your home is the walls and around all openings that help keep cool air inside. When you finally do get your home cool, you want to be able to keep it cool. When was the last time you added or replaced the insulation in your walls? If you can’t remember, it might be time.

When the insulation is in the wall, warm air won’t be able to get in. You can also insulate your windows and doors. There are special windows and doors made to improve the insulation in your home. If your roof needs to be repaired, that could improve insulation in your home as well. Look into different materials if you want to replace the roof altogether. Certain roofing materials offer more efficiency than others. When your home is well insulated, your efforts to cool it off will last longer and be more productive.

7. Stay Hydrated

Your body is made mostly of water. The water in our body helps regulate our internal temperature. If you don’t drink enough water, your body won’t be able to regulate its temperature properly. First and foremost, drink at least eight glasses of water every day. Make this easy on yourself by keeping a portable water bottle with you. You should get one specifically designed to keep the liquid cold on hot days.

Another way to stay hydrated is to avoid things that may dehydrate you. First, you want to keep out of the sun if possible. When in the sun, you need to make a point to use sunscreen to protect yourself. Sunburns are painful, and they also dehydrate you. Next, you want to avoid drinking alcohol excessively. When you drink too much, you will end up dehydrated. If you do choose to drink alcoholic beverages, drink water as well. Always practice moderation.

You need to be comfortable in your home in order to accomplish everything you need to achieve throughout the day. When your AC goes out, it can make you overheated and irritated. Luckily, you shouldn’t have to wait too long for repairs if you go with Brennan Heating & Air Conditioning. They can take care of your AC repairs quickly and with a smile. Also, call for air duct cleaning, energy solutions, maintenance, heat pump installation, and HVAC installation. We also offer air quality assessments and solutions. Call Brennan Heating and Air Conditioning in Seattle, WA, to learn all the ways we can assist you with your indoor climate and home comfort needs.

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