East Texas summers are hot and getting hotter. In order to keep homes comfortable, it’s necessary to run your air conditioning during the day and night.
It’s the middle of the night in the hottest summer months. Suddenly, your HVAC system goes quiet. You wait a moment to see if the air conditioner will turn back on. Nothing.
So what do you do if your AC stops working in the middle of the night?
Before you panic, there are some things you can check yourself that might fix the problem. If these tips for what to do if your AC stops working in the middle of the night aren’t successful, it’s important to contact an East Texas AC repair company and have your AC inspected with state-of-the-art products and diagnostic equipment to get it up and running as soon as possible.
Check Your Thermostat
Have you checked the thermostat? That might seem like a too obvious solution, but you’d be surprised. Even a programmable thermostat can be reprogrammed by a household member or even by loss of electricity. Before you move into panic mode and start imagining the cost of repair or even the price of a new air conditioner, take a minute to check the thermostat and see if it was changed or shut off for some reason.
Check Your Power Supply
Another potentially very simple solution to your HVAC issue is to check your power supply. There are multiple reasons that the power to your AC or even home might have turned off. It’s important to check the breakers, the outside HVAC unit, and any outlets to make sure that a loss of power somewhere isn’t the problem.
For more troubleshooting steps before calling a pro, see our HVAC troubleshooting guide.
Know Who to Call for Emergency AC Repair
Especially if you have elderly, immune compromised, or babies living in your household, it’s a good idea to find a local AC and heating company such as East Texas Refrigeration out of Tyler, that offers 24 hour HVAC services. If your air conditioner stops working in the middle of the night, it could be an issue of safety and being a part of a professional HVAC maintenance program or being affiliated with a local air conditioner repair company that can come to your rescue day or night is invaluable.
Consider Waiting Until Morning
We all know that contacting a professional business such as plumbers, electricians, and HVAC experts during their off hours or in the middle of the night can often be expensive. If it’s possible to find ways to stay cool and call the HVAC experts to diagnose the problem in the morning, then that’s an option to save you money.
Stay Cool While You Wait
Speaking of ways to stay cool, there are multiple things you can do within your home, etc. to maintain a comfortable and even cool environment. If the AC goes out in the night chances are you’ll be grabbing for the closest fan and turning it on high. Fans are a great resource to keep on hand in case of an air conditioning emergency. If your AC isn’t working because of a problem with the power, making sure you have a few battery-powered fans can be a lifesaver.
Do you have screens on your windows? If not, you should consider having some installed. Opening the windows is a great way to cool your home down at night and having screens enables you to do so without mosquitoes and other creepy crawlies.
Air circulation is a critical aspect of cooling your home, so making sure doors are open and that air is flowing will help cool your home.
Call a Professional HVAC Company
If none of the troubleshooting tips for fixing your air conditioner if it stops working at night get your AC to start working again, it’s important to call a professional air conditioner company first thing in the morning and have them come and assess why it’s not functioning as it should.
When You Should Leave Your Home
East Texas gets some very hot, humid nights that make it difficult for anyone to sleep without the air conditioner, but especially babies, the elderly, and people who are ill. Once someone gets overheated, it can be difficult to cool them down. If the temperature inside your home becomes uncomfortable due to lack of air conditioning, it might be necessary for the safety of your home’s occupants to find an alternative place to finish the night. This is especially true if the AC stops working in the middle of the summer’s heat wave.
Prevent Future AC Problems
One way to help ensure that your AC is always in top working condition is to have it regularly cleaned and inspected; the AC filter changed; and any other big or small repairs performed by a licensed, professional HVAC technician on a regular/seasonal basis. An annual maintenance plan provides twice a year service to help maintain your HVAC system’s performance.
Contact your local East Texas HVAC company today for information on an inspection, and sleep peacefully knowing your AC is in top working condition.
