During the scorching summer months, it's all too common to encounter issues with your home or office air conditioning system.
As the heat waves roll in, a functioning AC unit becomes absolutely necessary.
In this article, we’ll explore ways to self-diffuse a faulty AC system so you don't have to wait through the dreadful 4 days - 1 week often allotted by HVAC technicians during summer.
When an AC unit breaks down during a heat wave, your default human response would be to reach out to a technician as soon as possible so you get your unit fixed, but what happens when the technician says you might have to wait up to a week? Super frustrating, yeah?
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The Pennsylvania Petroleum Association Technical Education Center(PPATEC), Mike Elmer affirms how extremely busy it gets for many technicians during the summer, with as long as 14 working hours(7 am-9 pm) daily for the average technician.
Although he explained that there were a few cases of exceptions for people who had a prior work relationship with their HVAC technician, most people would typically end up on the waiting list during summer.
“Hopefully, if you have that good customer relationship with your HVAC tech, they’ll be able to come out and try to fit you in the schedule right away. If you don’t, you’re on the waiting list,” he said.
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Another PPATEC official, Don Mumma, advised that people who find themselves on the waiting list this summer should consider changing their air filters until they are finally attended to by a technician since most AC faults are often caused by dirty air filters.
“If there’s restrictions on an air filter, it’ll turn the inside unit into an ice cube and it’ll make your system not work,” he explained.
Photo | Prasopchok/Unsplash
How To Self-Diffuse A Faulty AC Unit Before Your Technician Shows Up
1)Get Rid Of Ice In Your System
Elmer says you must ensure there is no ice on your AC system if you have been scheduled for an appointment or the ice is melted before they arrive.
A technician won't be able to test your unit until it is melted off, which might mean your appointment is rescheduled and your stay on the waiting list is further extended.
“You don’t want to pay the technician to melt ice, or him say ‘I’ll be back tomorrow or the next day once the ice is melted, so that I can actually test,” he explained.
Pro tip: How To Melt The Ice
-Shut the system off at the thermostat
-Switch on the fan to melt the ice
-Allow the air circulate the system
2)Get A Regular Maintenance Plan
Mumma says the best way to address this is to prevent it by getting a maintenance plan that schedules servicing periodically before summer or the dreadful heat wave.
Trying to schedule a service is as hectic as a repair during the summer.
“It’s not the best time to get it service because most of those technicians are running service calls right now, but always try to get it done before the cooling season,” he advised.
3)Hose Down A Dirty AC Unit
Elmer suggested that hosing down a dirty AC unit might be useful in getting it to work while waiting for the technician to arrive.
However, he sternly warned anyone trying to explore this option not to power wash their unit as that could cause further damage to it.
Other options he advised are; to open the windows at night, close the curtains, turn the fan off inside or try purchasing a window unit on your own.