Prepping Your Home’s HVAC Equipment for Storms
It feels like storm season is every season. Spring brings rain storms and tornadoes, while summer kicks off hurricane season. By the time the Atlantic hurricane season ends in November, snowfalls are upon the north. The welfare of your family during hazardous storms should invariably be priority. But even as the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still want to make sure that your home and family stay safe. See our suggestions for preparing your home’s heating and air conditioning equipment for storm season.
Secure Your AC
Your outside AC equipment should be positioned on a concrete pad and properly attached to keep the system from going up in the air or washing away during a storm. If you are in a climate that produces hurricanes, it may be critical to fasten your equipment with hurricane straps to keep the equipment safe from high winds. Ask your professional technician about anchoring your home’s air conditioning system during your AC Tune-up.
Stop the Surge
You can’t literally prevent the surge that often occurs during a storm, but you can safeguard your heating and cooling equipment from it. Put in a high-quality surge protector where any large appliances, a furnace for example, 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. Remember to never touch any electrical components, and seek professional help if you are not comfortable using surge protectors properly.
Provide Cover
You and your family need to find shelter first and foremost, but if time permits, shut down your heating and cooling system and cover the outside equipment with a tarp. Before turning your system back on after the storm, make sure you remove the tarp and get rid of any debris.
This, Too, Shall Pass
After the storm ends, make sure the system is safe before turning your heating and cooling system back on. First, confirm there are no signals of damage and get rid of any debris from around the system. Try to examine and confirm there is no visible 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 air conditioning. Once you’ve had the system checked by an expert 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 your equipment or ductwork.
If your equipment has suffered any damage, check out these tips on What To Do If Your Air Conditioning System Experiences Flooding or Hail Damage and then call Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing and find out about our membership options to help keep your heating and air conditioning system in working order all seasons long.