Keeping Your Cool - What To Avoid During AC Outages To Prevent A Hot House

If there is one thing that can make you and your family cranky in the middle of summer it is an overheated home. If you are having issues with your home's air conditioner, it is likely that you will do a lot of things to try and keep cool. While you are waiting for AC repair or installation, there are all kinds of recommendations about how you can stay cool from taking cold showers to flipping on fans to keep air circulating.

However, what you may not know is there are a lot of activities and actions you should avoid doing to prevent your home from overheating:

Using the Kitchen to Cook

It is not logical to think that you can avoid cooking altogether for an extended period of time if you have a family. However, while your air conditioner is out, you will be much cooler of you avoid cooking as much as possible.

The heat from the oven, stove, or even a slow cooker can raise the temperature in the house. If at all possible, prepare meals in advance in the evening or early morning when the house is cooler and then simply reheat later in the microwave.

Attempting to Do Laundry

Both the washer and dryer in your laundry room can generate a fair amount of heat when they are in use no matter how well they are ventilated. Therefore, doing laundry while you are waiting for AC installation may not be the best idea.

If you choose to wash clothes when you have no air conditioner, use cold water cycles in the washer when you can. Try hanging your clothing either outdoors or from a line in the house if you do not have an outdoor space for a clothesline.

Allowing the Sunlight Inside

You may be a big fan of natural sunlight, but keeping it blocked away when you have no way to cool your home will be in your best interest. Use heavy drapes an blankets to block out the direct sunlight coming in through windows and doors. It is a good idea to open windows at night to allow in cool air and then immediately block the windows when the sun starts shining through in the morning.

When your air conditioner goes out, don't sweat it, and do not let your family sweat it out either. Do what you can to get cool, but keep an eye out for heat generators you have in your home as well. To learn more, contact a company like Arlington Heating & Air Conditioning with any questions or concerns you have.