I completely understand your stress with the aircon breaking down in this heat—we went through the exact same nightmare last summer with our unit! After getting wildly different quotes from local technicians, we were totally lost on what to do. A friend suggested looking into a home warranty, and honestly, checking out the select home warranty reviews really helped us understand our options and avoid a costly mistake. It gave us the confidence to choose a plan that actually covered the repair without the hidden fees. Hope you get your cool air back soon, I know how miserable it is waiting.