You may start to think that storm season is year around. Spring arrives with rain storms and tornadoes, while summer starts the hurricane season. As the Atlantic hurricane season ends in November, snowstorms are upon the north. Most recently the storms caused devastation for our friends in Louisiana. The safety of your family during dangerous storms should always take priority. But even while the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still need to make sure that your home and family stay safe. See our tips for preparing your home’s heating and cooling equipment for storm season.
Anchor Your Air Conditioning
Your outdoor air conditioning equipment should be placed on a concrete pad and properly anchored to prevent the equipment from going airborne or washing away over the course of a storm. If you are in a climate that generates hurricanes, it may be critical to fasten your AC with hurricane straps to protect the system from high winds. Ask your air conditioning technician about securing 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 shield your heating and cooling equipment from it. Get a high-quality surge protector where any large appliances, like a furnace, are plugged into a standard wall outlet, to automatically turn off your heating system if there’s a jump in the line voltage. This will help shield the electrical components in your heating and air conditioning equipment that the power surge could harm. Make sure you never touch any electrical components, and ask for expert help if you are not accustomed to using surge protectors properly.
Provide Cover
You and your family need to seek shelter first and foremost, but if time permits, shut off your heating and cooling system and cover the outdoor system 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
When the storm has passed, make sure the system is safe before starting up your heating and air conditioning system. To get started, confirm there are no signals of damage and get rid of any debris from around the system. Try to evaluate and make sure there is no noticeable harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your AC. Call 303-647-5853 for an equipment inspection if seems like there is any damage or flooding to the equipment. Once you’ve had the system checked by a professional to ensure safe working, turn the HVAC system back on as soon as possible to help dry the home and restrict mold from getting into the equipment 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 learn about our membership options to help keep your heating and cooling system in working order through all the seasons.