Your home AC is an essential part of your home during the summer when the temperatures rise above the 80s and 90s. However, sometimes your air conditioner will need repairs and break down. Here are some tips that you can follow if your home air conditioner breaks down in the middle of a heatwave.

Check Your System

You should always first check your AC system if it stops working, to eliminate any simple problems. For example, make sure the unit's power is switched on and the thermostat is set to cool with the temperature lower than your home's indoor temperatures. You can also check the filter and clean it out or replace it if it is dirty. Then, check your AC's breaker switch on the unit, if there is one, and also in your home's breaker box control panel.

Keep Your Home Cool

During the time you are waiting to get your air conditioner repaired, there are some tips you can implement in your home to keep cool while you wait. Always remember that if your home becomes too hot or you have anyone in your home susceptible to the heat, find another cool location where you can wait until your AC is repaired.

In the meantime, turn on ceiling fans or room fans to circulate the air around you when you are in a room. When you circulate the air it cools your body more than if the air is not moving. Fans don't actually cool the room but they can help you cool your body. Also, drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. 

Cover any windows exposed to direct sunlight to block out the sun's UV rays and prevent your home interior from getting any hotter. Avoid using your stove and oven and cook outside. You could also avoid using your clothes dryer as it can also heat up the interior of your home. 

Contact a Professional

After you have tried to fix your air conditioner and get it working but nothing works, you should contact an air conditioning repair company. When you have kept up on your annual tune-up for your air conditioner, you usually won't experience an outage during the cooling season, but it can still happen. But the sooner you call them to make an appointment, the quicker they will be able to get your AC back up and running. 

If you have signed up for an annual service contract through a local air conditioning service company, you may be able to have priority service on your request. This fact makes a service contract even more valuable because most air conditioner professionals will put you at the top of the service list above other customers when you have a service contract agreement. 

Your AC professional will check your system's coolant and its wiring to find out where the problem is originating from. Your air conditioner may need a specific part repaired or replaced and it will be cooling your home quickly. Most service professionals have the needed parts on their truck or they can get it to you the same day.