It feels like storm season is every season. Spring arrives with rain storms and tornadoes, while summer ushers in hurricane season. By the time the Atlantic hurricane season ends in November, snowfalls are upon the north. Last month the floods caused destruction for our friends in Louisiana. The safety of your family during dangerous storms should invariably be priority. But even when the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still want to be sure that your home and family are safe. See our tips for preparing your home’s heating and air conditioning equipment for storm season.
Attach Your AC
Your outside air conditioning equipment should be positioned on a concrete pad and properly fastened to prevent the equipment from being thrown in the air or washing away over the course of a storm. If you are in a climate that produces hurricanes, it may be critical to fasten your air conditioner with hurricane straps to protect the system from high winds. Ask your professional technician about fastening down your home’s air conditioning system during your Precision Tune-up.
Stop the Surge
You can’t really prevent the surge that often happens during a storm, but you can shield your heating and cooling equipment from it. Get a high-quality surge protector where any large appliances, such as a furnace, are plugged into a standard wall outlet, to automatically shut off your heating system if there’s a spike in the line voltage. This will help safeguard the electrical components in your heating and air conditioning equipment that the power surge could damage. Be sure never to touch any electrical components, and request expert help if you are not familiar with using surge protectors properly.
Provide Cover
Your family and you need to acquire shelter first and foremost, but if time allows, shut off your heating and air conditioning system and cover the outside equipment with a tarp. Before turning your system back on after the storm, be sure to remove the tarp and get rid of any debris.
This, Too, Shall Pass
Once the storm is over, make sure the system is safe before starting up your heating and air conditioning system. To begin, verify there are no signs of damage and get rid of any debris surrounding the equipment. Try to check and make sure there is no apparent harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your air conditioning system. Call 352-414-4006 for an equipment inspection if seems like there is any damage or flooding to the air conditioning. Once you’ve had the equipment inspected by an expert to ensure safe function, turn the HVAC system back on immediately to help dry the home and restrict mold from getting into your system or ductwork.
If your system has had 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 and find out about our membership options to help keep your heating and air conditioning system in working order all seasons long.