Check these three things before you call
About a third of summer emergency calls turn into a two-minute homeowner fix. Run through this list first — if it's one of these, you save the diagnostic fee.
- Thermostat. Confirm it's set to COOL (not HEAT, not OFF, not FAN). Set temperature 5-10°F below current room temperature. If it's a smart thermostat with a dead battery, the screen may be unresponsive — try fresh batteries.
- Breakers. Both the indoor air handler and the outdoor condenser have separate breakers. Either could trip during a storm. Find the AC breakers in your main panel and the disconnect (usually a small box mounted next to the outdoor unit). Reset firmly OFF then ON.
- Filter. A filter that's been ignored for 90+ days can clog enough to freeze the indoor coil and shut down cooling. Pull the filter; if it's gray and thick, replace it. Run the system on FAN ONLY for 30 minutes if you suspect a frozen coil — the indoor fan blows room-temperature air across the iced coil to thaw it.
If none of those fix it, it's a real call. The most common summer failures we see are capacitor failures ($150-$300 fix), contactor pitting ($150-$250), refrigerant leaks ($300-$1,200 depending on location), and frozen coils caused by airflow restriction or low charge.
While you wait for the technician
- Turn the system OFF at the thermostat. Continuing to cycle a failed system makes the failure worse.
- Close blinds and curtains on west- and south-facing windows. Solar gain is the largest summer load on a Baldwin County home.
- Run ceiling fans counterclockwise (the direction that pushes air down). Effective wind chill of 4-5°F.
- Move sleeping arrangements to the lowest level of the home. Heat rises; the floor of a two-story is several degrees cooler than the upper floor.
- Hydrate aggressively. Cold water on wrists and the back of the neck cools core temperature faster than skin contact alone.
- If anyone is medically vulnerable (elderly, infant, chronic respiratory or cardiac condition), tell us on the call. We prioritize routing accordingly.
- If water is dripping through a ceiling, the condensate drain is overflowed — set a bucket and tell us so we bring drain-clearing equipment.
- If you smell something burning at the indoor unit, kill the breaker first. Don't run the system again until we arrive.
Symptoms that mean call right now
- Burning smell from any vent or the indoor air handler — could be motor windings, control board, or wiring; system off until diagnosed.
- Smoke from the outdoor unit — kill the breaker immediately, don't restart.
- Loud grinding or screeching from indoor or outdoor — bearing failure on a blower or condenser fan, continuing to run causes secondary damage.
- Outdoor unit running but indoor air still warm even after 30 minutes — refrigerant charge issue, system stops cooling but compressor keeps running and overheating.
- Frozen line leaving the outdoor unit — system off immediately, fan on to thaw indoor coil.
- Water flooding the indoor air handler closet or attic — overflowed condensate drain plus failed safety switch, will continue until manually stopped.
FAQs
- When should I call the emergency line vs. waiting for normal hours?
- Call right away if: outdoor temperatures are 90°F+, anyone in the home is medically vulnerable (elderly, infant, chronic respiratory condition), the house has reached 85°F+ indoors, or it's a vacation rental between renters. Waiting until business hours is fine if temperatures are mild and you can safely run fans + close blinds for the night.
- What's the after-hours service rate?
- ACExperts charges a transparent after-hours dispatch fee disclosed on the call before we route. Comfort Plan members receive a discounted dispatch fee. We don't surprise you with charges — the number you hear on the call is the number on the invoice.
- How fast do you respond to emergency calls in summer?
- Most Baldwin County emergency calls during summer get a same-day or next-morning response, with priority routing for medical-vulnerability and vacation-rental situations. Coastal areas (Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Fort Morgan) sometimes run 30-60 minutes longer due to drive time. Comfort Plan members are always routed first.
- Can I run my AC if it's frozen?
- No. Turn the system OFF immediately at the thermostat (not just down). Set the fan to ON to help thaw the indoor coil while we route. Continuing to run a frozen system damages the compressor — a $200 capacitor problem turns into a $2,500 compressor replacement. Most frozen-coil calls are airflow restrictions (dirty filter, restricted ductwork) or low refrigerant.
- Should I just buy a window unit and wait?
- Tempting, but no. Window units cool one room poorly while the central system problem gets worse. The compressor or capacitor that failed today gets harder (more expensive) to repair the longer it sits with refrigerant slug, condensate buildup, and electrical fault. Same-day diagnostic is almost always cheaper than the delayed alternative.
AC out right now?
Same-day emergency response across Baldwin County. Comfort Plan members get priority routing. Call 251-383-HVAC and a real person will route a technician.