We’re used to the occasional Texas storm front that knocks out our power for a few hours, but what happens when you don’t have electricity for an extended period of time? Your home probably isn’t prepared to handle a week without air conditioning! As we’re well aware, Texas weather is unpredictable, so even if you wanted to prepare for a loss of electricity, where should you start?
Champion AC & Plumbing may be your trusted AC contractor, but we are also here to help you through your loss of AC. Take a few of our home preparation tips into consideration and feel confident about your home — whether you are facing severe weather or controlled blackouts!
5 Ways To Get Your Home Ready For A Power Outage
Block Sunlight
One of the best investments for your home on any day of the year is also an important part of staying cool during a blackout. Window coverings that block light are essential to preventing heat from entering your home in the first place. During a normal day, your AC doesn’t have to work so hard if you’re helping keep the heat out of your home. While there’s no electricity, it’s even more important to have curtains, blinds or screens blocking that heat from warming your home.
Seal Up Cracks
Your windows and doors are the natural openings from your home to the outdoors, so sealing these spaces when closed is important. Luckily, you can buy affordable caulk and weather stripping to fill those cracks efficiently. When your power fails, the cool air already in your home will stay for longer if it doesn’t have cracks to escape out of.
Remember To Ventilate
Many homeowners forget that the living areas in their homes are not the only place where air collects. Your attic space highly affects your home’s ability to keep cool. Hot air rises, so your attic will collect the majority of hot air. If you want that hot air to be expelled from your home, make sure you have proper ventilation gaps to promote circulation — even when you have no electricity.
DIY Cooling
If your home is especially vulnerable to power outages, or if you want to be extra prepared, consider building a DIY AC. Portable ACs can be built to run on a battery and have been proven to cool an enclosed room by several degrees. If you’re feeling handy, try it out! It may be the best investment you make if your power fails on an August, triple-digit day.
Stock Your Home!
You may not consider yourself a prepper, but with a few items on hand in your home, your blackout could be comfortable and far safer. Consider keeping these survival items stocked in your home, and you’ll be glad to have them when your electricity goes out.
- Water — Don’t take your water source for granted. During a power grid failure or a severe weather event, it’s entirely possible for your water to shut off or even get contaminated. It’s a good idea to stock up on a few large containers of drinkable water. This will keep you from getting dangerously dehydrated — plus, it can be used for washing and keeping your body cool!
- Light — It only takes one hour of no power at night to make you uncomfortable with so much darkness. Prepare ahead of time and purchase a few flashlights and plenty of batteries. You’ll be safer moving about in the dark, and you’ll feel more comfortable until the power goes back on.
- First Aid Kit — You may need simple first aid supplies while the power is out, and you never know if you’ll have immediate access to medical attention. Just feel confident and safe in your ability to address illness or wounds with a few basic supplies.
AC Health Post Blackout
Unfortunately, you can prepare your home for a blackout, but you can’t prepare your AC. Electrical surges can be very damaging to your AC unit, so keep an eye on it after your power comes back. Your trusty AC team at Champion AC & Plumbing will be ready to perform any AC repairs you need! Contact us today!
