Around 489,000 from heat strokes a year. That’s the same death doll that HIV and malaria accumulate every year. If your AC cuts off in the Summer, don’t waste time.
Your grandparent or mother will be vulnerable if they’re up there in age. Don’t take it lightly. If you have a dog, he can’t even sweat. Things can get grim really fast for not only them but small children too. So an AC breaking down in over 100 degree weather is no joke. It’s going to come in handy learning certain makeshift solutions to organize to keep everyone safe and taken care of until you get an emergency NYC repair company in the house like AC Repair NYC.
Block out the sun
It’s quite obvious that the sun is the source of the heat waves so many people don’t consider that you’re going to want to block them with extra impediments. Different thicknesses of windows manage to insulate the home differently. If you have a lot of your wall covered by windows you’re going to need to block out the sun big time. So close the curtains and blinds, otherwise your indoor temperatures will go several degrees hotter even than necessary within an hour.
Another option is to also tape up a temporary barrier such as aluminum foil on the sun facing side of the house to reflect the heat away. The heavier your drapes, the better they block the sun too. Otherwise, hang blankets or cardboard, the best you have.
Move to the Coolest Part of Your Home
Try out how your different rooms feel, especially the one farther away from the sun. But the coolest of all will be your basement – it’s underground that’s a better sun shield than anything could be with no direct sunlight. Interior rooms are another good shield.
Prepare a Cool Room
Definitely choose a room that’s the lower the better, and not facing the West or the East, the former being the worst choice, since the sun heats up by noon. This will be your safe space until the system is repaired. After you’ve blocked out the window with drapes or whatever material you have on hand, get out a fan and point it at you rather than aimlessly into the room. If you own a dehumidifier, run it – dry air feels cooler than humd air, even at the same temperature.
Cool Your Body, Not Just the Air
Sure the room temperature is important, but it’s another prudent action to cool your body too, especially since a room can take hours to cool down when the AC is out during a heatwave.
What you’re going to want to focus on is particular pulse points on your body. These include your:
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neck
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wrists
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temples
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inner elbows
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groin
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inner knees
These areas have blood vessels running close to the surface. Cooling these pulse points chills our blood which then circles through your body and helps bring down overall temperature. Remedies to use are:
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Cold, damp washcloths or T-shirt: as the water evaporates, it pulls heat away from your skin. Continually rewet it.
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Ice packs wrapped in a thin cloth (to prevent skin damage)
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Bags of frozen peas, meat, or reusable gel packs. Most likely you have some drink you keep in your fridge or freezer like a Kool-Aid or just some water. Chugging that in that situation will work.
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Spray bottle
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You can also take a cool shower.
There are a myriad of bad health problems you could encounter if your health is hampered by the heat. With your body having trouble keeping the temperature stable, heart-related diseases go up. You will also be sure to have trouble sleeping as the body falls asleep better definitely when it’s colder, certainly when it’s not too hot though.
Take It Easy
The last thing you want to do is start hauling around furniture and carrying objects out to your pickup bed. Don’t run around chasing your dog.
At least wait until the sun isn’t roasting you – say, early morning or in the evening. If you still insist on doing work around the house and exercising now, make sure to schedule in breaks. Otherwise, we happen to live in the 21st century, so you can bust out your cell phone or tablet and play some Candy Crush or Among us, or check out reel after reel on Instagram of funny pranks or inspiring shorts. You’ll never run out of ways to distract yourself. We don’t necessarily live in the most physically active era anyway.
Protect Vulnerable People and Pets
When the AC fails in extreme heat in New York City, certain groups are far more susceptible to heat-related illnesses and need extra protection.
Infants and Small Children
These have underdeveloped temperature regulation systems.
Senior Citizens
Older adults often have reduced sweating ability, slower circulation, and may be on medications (like diuretics or heart medications) that increase dehydration risk.
Pets
Cats, dogs, birds, and small mammals can all overheat quickly, especially those with thick coats, short muzzles (like bulldogs or pugs), or respiratory sensitivities. Dogs and cats can’t sweat like humans, relying instead on panting to cool down—which is far less effective in hot, humid air. Birds are highly sensitive to temperature shifts, and small mammals like rabbits and guinea pigs are prone to heatstroke in just minutes. Make sure pets have access to shade, cool (not ice-cold) water, and well-ventilated spaces.
Future Safeguards from AC Breakages
There’s a number of different culprits that your repairman may point out to you as the origin of this whole situation. Let’s not let it happen again.
Always be sure to replace your filters, at least once every 3 months. If you don’t, the air won’t pass through very easy and your AC will be working on overdrive. Throughout their use, your filters get grime, dirt, and countless potential allergens on them which make their way into your home. In fact, you actually blow the accumulated residue throughout your house. You could catch a disease just from that.
You’ll also need your repairman to clean your coils and evaporator, or they won’t be able to absorb heat and kick it out of your home. Other sources to point the finger are drain lines and pans. If you treat your AC well it will treat you well. So a repairman should be cleaning your components at least once a year.
Does your outdoor unt sit right in the sunlight? If so, you’ll wan to avoid that too. It’s better to keep it in the shade.
