It feels like storm season is every season. Spring arrives with rain storms and tornadoes, while summer kicks off hurricane season. As the Atlantic hurricane season ends in November, snowstorms are upon the north. Most recently the floods wreaked havoc on our friends in Louisiana. The well-being of your family during hazardous storms should invariably be priority. But even when the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still want to make sure that your home and family stay safe. Check out these recommendations for preparing your home’s cooling and heating equipment for storm season.
Anchor Your AC
Your outdoor AC equipment should be placed on a concrete pad and properly secured to avoid the equipment from being thrown in the air or washing away in a storm. If you are in a climate that is subject to hurricanes, it may be critical to fasten your air conditioner with hurricane straps to protect the equipment 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 literally avoid the surge that often happens during a storm, but you can shield your Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment from it. Install a high-quality surge protector where any sizable appliances, a furnace for example, are plugged into a standard wall outlet, to automatically turn off your heating system if there’s an increase in the line voltage. This will help shield the electrical components in your heating and air conditioning equipment that the power surge could harm. Remember to never touch any electrical components, and request expert help if you are not accustomed to using surge protectors properly.
Provide Cover
Your family and you need to acquire shelter first and foremost, but if time allows, turn off your heating and air conditioning system and cover the outside equipment with a tarp. Before turning your system back on after the storm, you must remove the tarp and get rid of any debris.
This, Too, Shall Pass
Once the storm is over, ensure the system is safe before turning on your HVAC system. To begin, confirm there are no signals of damage and get rid of any debris from around the system. Try to check and verify there is no visible harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your air conditioning system. Call 803-399-7208 for an AC inspection if it looks like there may have been any damage or flooding to the system. Once you’ve had the system inspected by a technician to ensure safe working, turn the heating and air conditioning system back on immediately to help dry the home and restrict mold from getting into the system 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 Midland Air Service Experts and learn about our membership options to help keep your HVAC system in working order all seasons long.