Prepping Your Home’s HVAC Equipment for Storms
You may start to think that storm season is year around. Spring brings rain storms and tornadoes, while summer ushers in hurricane season. As the Atlantic hurricane season ends in November, snowstorms are upon the north. The safety of your family during perilous storms should absolutely take priority. But even when the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still want to be sure that your home and family remain unharmed. See our recommendations for preparing your home’s heating and air conditioning equipment for storm season.
Anchor Your Air Conditioning
Your outside AC equipment should be positioned on a concrete pad and properly fastened to prevent the air conditioner from being thrown in the air or washing away over the course of a storm. If you are in a climate that generates hurricanes, it may be required to fasten your equipment with hurricane straps to keep the system safe from high winds. Ask your expert technician about anchoring your home’s air conditioning system during your AC Tune-up.
Stop the Surge
You can’t actually avoid the surge that often occurs during a storm, but you can shield your heating and cooling equipment from it. Put in a high-quality surge protector where any heavy appliances, like a furnace, are plugged into a standard wall outlet, to automatically turn off your heating system if there’s a spike in the line voltage. This will help protect the electrical components in your heating and cooling equipment that the power surge could harm. Remember to never touch any electrical components, and ask for a technician’s help if you are not accustomed to using surge protectors properly.
Provide Cover
Your loved ones and you need to seek shelter first and foremost, but if time permits, turn off your HVAC system and cover the outside system with a tarp. Before you turn your system back on after the storm, be sure to remove the tarp and clean up any debris.
This, Too, Shall Pass
Once the storm is over, be sure the system is safe before turning your heating and cooling system back on. To get started, confirm there are no signs of damage and remove any debris surrounding the equipment. Try to evaluate and make sure there is no noticeable harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your AC. Call 866-397-3787 for an AC inspection if appears there has been any damage or flooding to the system. Once you’ve had the equipment inspected by an expert to ensure safe function, turn the heating and air conditioning system back on as soon as possible to help dry the home and restrict mold from getting into your equipment or ductwork.
If your equipment has suffered any damage, check out these suggestions on What To Do If Your Air Conditioning System Experiences Flooding or Hail Damage and then call Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing and learn about our membership options to help keep your HVAC system in working order all year long.