My Air Conditioner Broke — What Should I Do?

It’s a hot summer day, you’re relaxing in your nice cool home, and all of the sudden, it’s sweltering hot. Your air conditioner is now broken in the middle of summer. Within a few minutes, heat has taken over your home and made the air stuffy, hot, and humid. A broken air conditioner can make things uncomfortable at best and cause health issues at worst (heatstroke, breathing issues, etc.). Don’t let a broken air conditioner break your spirit- follow these steps and you’ll be back up and running in no time. 

If You Live in an Apartment

If you live in an apartment and your air conditioner breaks, you should immediately contact your landlord or property manager and submit a maintenance request. Your landlord will most likely be responsible for the cost of the repair. Depending on who you rent from, the complex or leasing agency may have a contract with a maintenance provider, meaning you’ll need to go through your landlord or leasing agent rather than calling a company directly. Read your lease carefully to figure out your apartment’s policy on maintenance. 

If You Live in a House

If you live in a house, the air conditioner is your responsibility and you can either try to fix it yourself or hire a company of your choice to assist with the repair. If the problem is a simple one, like a Freon leak, and you’ve fixed similar things before, then doing it yourself is fine. However, if you don’t have experience fixing appliances or you can’t identify the problem, then it’s not advisable to attempt to fix the air conditioning unit yourself. Enlist the help of a professional instead.

Before The Fix

If you have to wait for the air conditioning to be fixed, it could be an uncomfortable few days. There are a few ways to beat the heat while you’re waiting. Opening windows can help or hurt, depending on what the weather is doing. If it’s extremely humid, opening windows will probably make your home feel worse. However, if there’s a breeze- even a slight one- opening up your windows can make a huge difference, especially if your windows are positioned in such a way that you can get a nice cross-breeze. Fans are another great way to keep your home from getting too stuffy, as they can help circulate air throughout a room. Rotating fans are especially effective for keeping air moving. If you have windows that let in a lot of sun, consider closing your blinds or curtains during the day to reduce the amount of heat being let in while your air conditioner is broken. 

Common Air Conditioner Issues

If you’re having trouble identifying the problem with your air conditioner, you should call a professional, but there are a few common issues that might be impacting your air conditioner. Possibly the most common problem with air conditioners is a dirty or clogged air filter. If too much dirt clogs the filter, it won’t allow air through. It’s hard to cool air that won’t enter the machine! Another potential problem is a Freon leak. Freon is a refrigerant gas used in air conditioners and fridges. Sometimes the Freon will leak out, causing the air conditioner or fridge to cool less efficiently or not at all. A surprisingly common issue is dirty condenser coils. Condenser coils are located on the outside of the air conditioner, which means that they’re usually on the outside of the home. As a result of being outside, the condenser coils can become dirty easily. They can usually be cleaned with water.

Broken Air Conditioner? Call Stack!

When your home needs fast, high-quality service, you can count on Stack Heating, Cooling, & Electric! Our team of experts is ready to help you with a wide variety of repairs, replacements, tune-ups, and more. We want you to know that your family’s safety and comfort is our number one priority, as it always has been. We are taking all necessary precautions and following CDC guidelines to keep our customers and employees healthy. We’ve been serving the Cleveland area for over 40 years, and we’re not going anywhere. Give us a call at (440) 937-9134 or visit us on our website today and find out what we can do for you!