When you think about the prospect of a summer outage and how to prepare should one occur, one can easily get overwhelmed with thoughts of how long will it last?  Should we pack up and find a place to stay or tough it out at home?  What about the food – will it spoil and how long does that take?  And on and on it goes.

Well, another byproduct of a summer power outage is losing our air conditioning.  How long it might last is anyone’s guess.  But isn’t better to prepare in advance for an extended power outage than no power outage at all?

So, from your friends at Absolute Air, here are some effective ways to keep cool should you lose your AC – however temporarily – for any reason at all, including a system breakdown:

Sleeping: If you are without power, simply hang your sheets and blankets in the coolest part of the house until bedtime. Allowing air to circulate around the sheets will keep them cool, so hang them up in the basement, a closet, or even in the shade of a tree until bedtime.

Stay hydrated: Drinking a glass of water can keep your body cool for up to an hour. Be sure to drink even if you aren’t thirsty, and remember that the body loses a lot of water through sweating. Other ways to cool off are with a sprinkler, misting fan, or putting your feet in cold water.

Change your diet: Eat spicy food when the AC is off – are we crazy?  Not at all.  Because doing wo will make you perspire, and perspiration helps you cool off.  In times of no AC, you’ll also want to load up on fruits and vegetables which are natural sources of water and electrolytes.

Cool the house: Keep the house cool by keeping the shades closed, lights off, and cook on the grill, with a crockpot, or enjoy take out. Anything to keep from adding heat to your home!

Circulate the air: Let’s say your AC is down because of a repair issue, and not a power outage.  What other means do you have of cooling your house?  How about a cold air return system which pulls the air from the cool basement into the house? An attic fan also can quickly pull the hot air up through the house, pulling in cooler air behind it. If the electricity is temporarily out you can still move air the old fashion way. No, not by having the kids fan you! Hot air rises, so opening the top half of the windows can vent out the warm air forcing the cool air from other parts of the house to replace it.

Doesn’t sound like much fun, does it?  Well, while we certainly hope you’re never without central air, sooner or later it’s bound to happen.  And when it does for reasons other than a power outage, you can count on Absolute Air to restore your cool, comfortable air promptly and reliably.  Just like always.