Your AC just died in a 100-degree heatwave. Now what?

With the recent upticks in heatwaves, we can’t think of anything more panic-inducing than your AC dying during a 100-degree weekend.One minute, your house feels fine, and the next, the air is heavy, and suddenly, you’re wondering how fast your HVAC contractor can come to your home. It’s worse on weekends, as you’re not the only one making a call, according to American Residential Services (ARS), a national home services company that provides heating, air conditioning and plumbing services across the country.“If a customer is calling with a need and they’re in distress because their system is broken — and let’s say that it’s 105 degrees outside — they need somebody there right now,” says Josh Conder, division operations manager for ARS Central Division.“We can’t say, ‘All right, we’ll get out there next week.

Just sweat for the next week.’ That doesn’t work well.”That said, if this does happen, there are a few things you can do to survive the weekend and then decide whether you need a repair or a replacement.Here’s what to do if your AC dies during extreme heat.Joey Dooley, a general manager at ARS in Texas, says AC can become more than a luxury for some households.“Your AC is designed to provide comfort, but if you’re talking about elderly people, senior citizens or people with certain medical conditions, it can become a life-and-death issue,” he says.“If you have any kind of health issue and you’re stuck sleeping in extreme heat, that’s a real problem.”If the temperature in your home is going beyond just uncomfortable, consider going somewhere cooler, even temporarily.

This means a mall, a movie, a friend’s or neighbor’s place, a library or even a hotel.Don’t wait until everyone feels awful to leave.If the house is unsafe, get out of the heat first and always deal with the system second.Before assuming the worst, check certain things with your AC.

Sometimes the issue is not full system failure.Start with...