Summertime in Florida is fantastic! Living without an air conditioner can make the heat of the day unbearable and ruin the fun you want to have indoors. Many times, the middle of the day is when we are in air-conditioned homes, as it is too hot and humid to be outside. The evenings become the time to spend entertaining, so we rely on our air conditioner to keep us cool while we are indoors during the day.

Tips to Make Sure Your AC is Ready for the Hot Summer

  • Get a tune-up. A tune-up is a service that gets everything cleaned, lubricated, and checked to make sure you have a good working AC unit.
  • Use your protection plan. If you have a protection plan, you should get two checkups a year! Schedule your checkup before the hottest months are here, so you can make sure everything is ready for consistent cool air in your home.
  • Clean the area around your AC. Make sure that you don’t have debris, overgrown plants or shrubs, or other objects close to your air conditioning unit.
  • Do a visual inspection of the air conditioner. If you see any possible damage or anything built-up on your air conditioner, let your HVAC technician know.
  • Inspect your filters and air ducts. It is good to know ahead of a checkup what needs work. If you see holes in your air duct, or you know you have air quality issues, let your HVAC professional know before they visit.
  • Talk to your family about your temperature settings. If you have many people in your home and everyone wants to set the thermostat differently, agree on a standard setting. Keeping your AC at a higher setting will keep your energy bills lower. The more your AC works, the more energy it uses. Remind your family that if it is sweltering in the house, turning your thermostat to the lowest setting to cool faster puts too much stress on the air conditioner.

Ways to Keep Cool if Your AC Won’t Work
If there is a surprisingly hot day before your air conditioner is serviced for summer, and it doesn’t turn on, there are a few ways for you to keep cool until it is repaired.

  • Cool towels on your neck and head.
  • Drink enough water.
  • Refrain from using the oven.
  • Enjoy cool salads and fruit for snacks.
  • Spend the hottest part of the day at a friend’s house or go to an activity in a place with a working air conditioner.
  • If it is cooler outside than it is in your house, spend the evenings outdoors.
  • Sleep with just the sheets.
  • Get a trusty spray bottle, and let the kids play in the water to stay cool.