The only good thing about possible summer blackouts in Houston is that we know about them beforehand. Imagining a hot summer day without AC is almost impossible, but if you prepare now, your blackout could be much easier to endure.
Air Tech of Houston AC & Plumbing wants your home to be as ready as possible for an unexpected power outage. With the right alternative cooling methods in place and a well-stocked home, you’ll glide through this power outage easily.
Helping Your Home Stay Cool
Without that crisp, cool air conditioner, your home is not going to feel very comfortable, but you’ll be a lot more miserable if you don’t take some simple precautions. Your home can hold cool air much longer if you prepare it.
Block Sunlight
If you don’t already have some sort of window covering or shaded windows, you need to install some. Blinds, curtains, tint, screens and blackout curtains are great options to help your home retain cool air and keep warm sunlight out. If you’re lucky enough to have trees shading your windows, that’s even better. However, other homes can use things like awnings to provide shade. However you think is best for your home, install window covers if you want to be more comfortable during a power outage.
Seal Your Home
Keeping your home sealed from the outdoors is important, but it’s even more important when your AC isn’t constantly replenishing escaped air. Don’t let your precious cool air leak from your home when you need it most! Use caulk to seal the edges of your windows and weather stripping to make sure your doors are secure.
Build A DIY AC
If you are particularly worried about the loss of air conditioning in your home, you can always try your hand at making a DIY AC. Powered by alternative fuel sources like car batteries, most portable DIY air conditioners can cool a room down several degrees.
What To Stock Up On Before A Blackout
Besides getting your home physically ready to be without power, you should also think about some supplies you’ll need to survive. It won’t hurt anybody if your supplies are never used, but you’ll sure be glad of them if your power does end up going out — especially if it’s out for days!
Water
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. There’s nothing more important during a blackout than water access. Every person in your home needs one gallon of water per day to keep healthy. That means you should store a few large water containers in your garage for drinking and other uses like washing and cooling yourself.
Food
Keeping your fridges and freezers closed will stretch the life of the perishable foods longer, but you’ll either end up eating your fridge food or it will go bad. You need to have dry goods ready to eat so that you can keep strong and comfortable until the power returns. Some great options are protein bars, canned foods and nut butters.
Other Survival Items
Some other things you’ll need are flashlights to provide ample light, batteries and portable fans. These could make a big difference if you’re without power for a long time. You’ll also need to put together a solid first aid kit. You may have to tend to injuries or emergencies beyond a bandaid.
Prepare Now, Be Grateful Later
If you can complete even one or two of these recommended tasks, you’ll be more prepared than most people for a power outage. Our team at Air Tech of Houston AC & Plumbing wishes we could guarantee your AC will work for the entire year, but we’ll do our best to help you anyway. Once your power is back on, we’re the best team to assess if your AC took any damage or to readjust your system to maximum efficiency. Contact us for all your AC needs!
