Prepping Your Home's HVAC Equipment for Storms
Sometimes it feels like storm season is all year. Spring arrives with rain storms and tornadoes, while summer kicks off hurricane season. By the time the Atlantic hurricane season comes to a close in November, snowstorms are upon the north. Most recently the floods wreaked havoc on our family in Louisiana. The safety of your family during treacherous storms should absolutely take priority. But even as the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still want to be sure that your home and family remain unharmed. Check out these recommendations for preparing your home’s cooling and heating equipment for storm season.
Anchor Your AC
Your outdoor air conditioning equipment should be placed on a concrete pad and properly secured to avoid the air conditioner from going up in the air or washing away in a storm. If you live in a climate that generates hurricanes, it may be necessary to fasten your equipment with hurricane straps to protect the system from high winds. Ask your air conditioning technician about fastening down your home’s AC during your Precision Tune-up.
Stop the Surge
You can’t really stop the surge that often comes during a storm, but you can safeguard your Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment from it. Get a high-quality surge protector where any sizable appliances, like a furnace, are plugged into a standard wall outlet, to automatically shut off your heating system if there’s a jump in the line voltage. This will help protect the electrical components in your heating and air conditioning equipment that the power surge could hurt. Be sure never to touch any electrical components, and request professional help if you are not comfortable using surge protectors properly.
Provide Cover
You and your family need to acquire shelter first and foremost, but if time allows, shut down your heating and air conditioning system and cover the outside system with a tarp. Before turning your system back on after the storm, be sure to remove the tarp and remove any debris.
This, Too, Shall Pass
When the storm has passed, ensure the system is safe before starting up your heating and air conditioning system. To get started, make sure there are no signs of damage and clean any debris surrounding the system. Try to check and verify there is no apparent harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your air conditioning system. Call 925-364-5427 for a system inspection if it looks like there may have been any damage or flooding to the system. Once you’ve had the system checked by a technician to ensure safe function, turn the heating and air conditioning system back on as soon as possible to help dry the home and limit mold from getting into the system or ductwork.
If there was any damage to your equipment, 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.
