What To Do If Your Air Conditioning System Experiences Flooding or Hail Damage

While your AC system is created to withstand the elements, including rain and wind damage, sometimes you need to call your AC repair technician to inspect likely damage. If your air conditioner sits in standing water, due to a torrential downpour or other unexpected issues, it can cause significant damage to the moving parts and electrical sections. The water usually has to reach about 15 inches in depth to affect your AC system, but if there has been any flooding period, call Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning for an air conditioner inspection immediately.

If severe storms or flooding caused your AC system to sit in standing water, there are a few things we suggest doing to avoid additional damage or a dangerous environment:

• Disable all the electrical controls to your AC system. If you are not comfortable doing this, you can call your air conditioning repair expert to help assist you with the process.
• Allow your air conditioning equipment to dry out. Clear out any standing water if possible and cautiously clear any debris from the immediate area.
• Don’t turn your air conditioner back on until a professional AC inspection has been completed. Call Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning and ensure your equipment will work safely and effectively with a full air conditioner safety inspection.

CAUTION: Do not cover your outdoor HVAC systems with a tarp. This may actually cause more issues, including not allowing the air conditioner to air out properly and remove moisture, potentially causing rust or other damage.

In addition to downpours, spring tends to bring hail storms, also. Annually thousands of commercial and residential air conditioning systems are in need of repair because of hail. While you can typically see obvious damage from the outside, you may not be able to see that the damage inside the air conditioner may be causing restricted air flow, obstructing the performance of the system. Sometimes you can fix the AC unit more easily, by combing the fins or replacing the coil, but an insurance company’s claim breakdown showed that around a tenth of air conditioning units damaged by hail had to be entirely replaced.

Intense winds tend to accompany storms and while your AC system probably won’t get wind damage, other items picked up by the wind, like tree branches, furniture, or children’s outdoor toys, can be thrown, damaging your air conditioning unit.

For a full air conditioner inspection and safety check, call Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning today and we’ll make sure your air conditioning unit is running safely and efficiently. Help keep your home safe during storm season and make sure to follow these guidelines if your neighborhood is under a serious storm warning.