It felt like we were waiting forever for the warm weather to greet us here in Northern Virginia, but now that is has, residents are turning on their air conditioners to stay cool and comfortable at home.

What happens when your trusty air conditioning system fails to provide the comfort you need? Here’s what you need to know to deal with a potential A/C disaster this summer.

First, don’t panic. Make sure your power is on and confirm that the unit isn’t working. You can check the breaker in your electrical panel to make sure it hasn’t gotten switched off. If it has, switch it back on and you should be all set.

If your vents are still blowing out warm or room temperature, check your outside unit for ice/frost. If your unit is freezing up, turn the unit off at the thermostat and turn the fan position to “On.” This allows the unit to thaw and defrost faster. Unfortunately, a technician cannot work on your unit and see why it is not working properly until it is thawed out, so make sure to turn your unit off as soon as possible at the first sign of frost!

Check your filters! Sometimes we put changing our filters on the back of our priority list. Make sure that your filter is not completely clogged up, and try changing your filter if it is. Dirty filters cause lack of air flow, causing your system to not run properly.

Once you’ve confirmed that your system is still not working properly, give us a call at (703) 968-0606. We understand that a broken air conditioner in the hot weather is a real emergency, and we’ll set up a time to come fix your system right away.

While you’re waiting for your AC repair, here are a few things you can do to stay cool.

Break out the fans. Whether you have ceiling fans installed or oscillating fans that you can bring out in case of an emergency, now’s the time to use them. Open your windows and position your fans to pull in the outside air and cool it for your home.

Use cool towels or washcloths around your neck to bring down your body temperature. If it’s really bad, you can even consider a cool bath or shower to lessen your discomfort. Make sure to wear loose-fitting, light-weight clothing, too.

Avoid using the oven or cooking hot foods. Even when your air conditioner is working perfectly, turning on your oven can heat up the whole house. Don’t even think about baking with a broken air conditioner. Stick to cold foods, grill out, or order in to avoid making your home even more uncomfortable. And drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.

Limit lights and power usage. Electronics like computers and televisions can increase the temperature in your home, and so can lights. Keep them off or use them only briefly to keep cooler.

Get out of the house. If the temperatures are extremely high outdoors, now might be a good time to take in the latest summer blockbuster or get some shopping done at the mall. If you don’t have AC, someone else does!

Remember, the most important thing you can do with a broken air conditioner is to get it fixed. Call us right away at (703) 968-0606, so we can make your home our top priority and restore your comfort as quickly as possible!