Living in Texas means that you must have an air conditioner. It’s also important to keep your AC working properly throughout the summer. After all, the average daytime high during a Texas summer is 98.3 degrees Fahrenheit, so that’s not something you want to mess around with. Fortunately, we’ve put together this guide to help ensure your air conditioner is able to deal with taxing temperatures and even rolling blackouts.
Get Your Air Conditioner Serviced
The absolute best thing you can do to make sure you’re ready for summer is to get your AC professionally serviced. Accurate Home Services is here to help! We can perform annual maintenance, during which we’ll clean the coils and check your refrigerant levels. Additionally, we’ll look for any parts that are coming up on their end-of-life cycle. That way, you can have them replaced before you end up dealing with no AC on a 100-degree day.
Clean Your AC Regularly
Another thing your air conditioner needs is to be cleaned before summer hits. It’s also a wise idea to change your furnace filter at least once every three months. Failure to do so will result in increased energy consumption and improper airflow. When you consider how expensive it can be to run your AC all summer, you’ll definitely want to call in the pros to keep your unit clean and your filters replaced.
Close Off Any Air Leaks
If you have any air leaks in your home, they’re going to make it even more difficult to keep your home cool. Therefore, it’s best to check your home annually to see if any new air leaks have developed. Any small air leaks can be repaired by using caulking and weatherstripping. If you don’t seal off your air leaks, it’s going to cost you! It’s definitely more affordable to have Accurate Home Services check all your windows and door frames for leaks than it would be to allow them to stay.
Make Sure You’ve Got Proper Insulation
Another thing that will help keep your air conditioner running more efficiently is making sure you’ve got proper insulation. Remember, even if your house had proper insulation when it was built, it may not have enough to meet your current needs. Turn to a professional to analyze your walls and attic. If there are any insulation issues, Accurate Home Services can help you take care of them.
Exterior Maintenance Will Help
Did you know that having a well-maintained exterior can keep your house cooler? The first thing to check is whether your gutters are free of any dirt or debris. This, in turn, can help prevent water damage. If you see any water damage, call an expert to take care of it because it can be responsible for making your home feel hotter.
Once you’ve got your gutters squared away, you’ll want to move onto any bushes, shrubs or trees that sit near your house. While it’s true that shade trees may help bring the temperature down a bit, it’s also true that having vegetation close to your home’s exterior will increase the heat your roof and walls absorb. Furthermore, it’ll block some of your air circulation, which is a one-way ticket to having a warmer home. That’s not what you want when you’re going into a Texas summer! Instead, you should plant any shade trees in areas that don’t directly affect your inside temperature. It’s best to keep them around your home, but not too close.
Clean Your Ductwork
Some people debate whether it’s really important to get their ductwork cleaned. Well, we’re here to tell you that it’s necessary if you want your air conditioner to work effectively. Any obstructions in your ductwork can make your AC unit work much harder, and it won’t be able to put out the same amount of cooling air. Therefore, always check your ductwork before summertime.
Check Your Temperature Settings
Unless you have a smart thermostat installed, you’ll need to keep an eye on your temperature settings. We recommend keeping your thermostat at 78 degrees throughout the summer. This setting will cool your house off without making your AC run constantly. If you do have a smart thermostat, you’ll notice that it only comes on when it’s necessary. In other words, purchasing a smart thermostat can save you time and money.
What Do I Do If My AC Breaks?
The first thing you’ll want to do is contact a team of professionals such as Accurate Home Services. Be aware, though, that if your AC breaks during a heatwave, it may take them a while to fit you into their schedule. Therefore, we’ve got a few tips to help you survive until your air conditioner is back online.
- Remain Hydrated:
Drink a minimum of eight glasses of water per day. When it comes to hydration, it’s vital to remember that by the time you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. - Put Cold Washcloths On Your Wrists or Neck:
Why specifically your wrists or neck? Because these areas are pulse points, which means your blood vessels are closer to your skin. This is one of the fastest ways to cool down. - Take a Cold Bath or Shower:
You’ll get to enjoy feeling cool while you’re bathing, and it’ll also help bring down your core body temperature. - Turn on Some Box Fans:
Place a box fan in a window, but make sure it’s pointed outward, rather than inward. This is the fastest way to remove hot air from inside your home. - Use Cotton Sheets:
Sleeping when it’s 90+ degrees can be unbearable. The best way to make it easier is by using cotton sheets or cotton blankets. Keep in mind that the lower the thread count is, the more breathable your sheets will be. - Keep Your Blinds Closed:
Don’t allow the morning or afternoon sun into your home. Instead, keep your blinds closed to deflect some of the heat.
Pay Attention to the Dangers of Having an Inoperable AC
While you may think that living without your air conditioner for a few days is fine, it can actually lead to a lot of health problems. In 2023, 334 Texas residents died from the heat. The following are just a few issues you may experience without AC.
- Dehydration: Can lead to rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure and even loss of consciousness.
- Heat Exhaustion: Your body temperature may soar up to 102 degrees. You can also experience muscle cramps, heavy sweating, feeling faint, fatigued, nauseated or dizzy and low blood pressure when you stand up.
- Fainting: Extreme heat exposure can cause you to faint due to low blood pressure.
- Heat Stroke: If you suffer from heat stroke, you’re having a medical emergency. Your body temperature may rise past 105 degrees. You may also experience hyperventilation, seizures, rapid heart rate, loss of consciousness and hallucinations. Heat stroke can become deadly without proper medical attention.
Keep Your AC Operating All Summer
As you can see, it can be quite dangerous to allow your air conditioner to die in Texas, so utilize our AC maintenance. Don’t take this chance. Instead, contact the expert team at Accurate Home Services in Kaufman, Texas. We can take care of all your air conditioning, heating, electrical and indoor air quality needs!
