Sometimes it feels like storm season is all year. Spring brings rain storms and tornadoes, while summer ushers in hurricane season. As the Atlantic hurricane season ends in November, snowfalls are upon the north. Most recently the floods caused destruction for our friends in Louisiana. The welfare of your family during hazardous storms should always take priority. But even as the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still need to make sure that your home and family remain unharmed. Check out these tips for preparing your home’s heating and air conditioning equipment for storm season.
Attach Your Air Conditioning
Your outdoor AC equipment should be installed on a concrete pad and properly attached to keep the air conditioner from going up in the air or washing away during a storm. If you live in a climate that generates hurricanes, it may be critical to fasten your air conditioner with hurricane straps to keep the equipment safe from high winds. Ask your expert technician about securing your home’s AC during your AC Tune-up.
Stop the Surge
You can’t actually stop the surge that often happens during a storm, but you can protect your heating and cooling equipment from it. Install a high-quality surge protector where any large appliances, such as a furnace, are plugged into a standard wall outlet, to automatically turn off your heating system if there’s a spike in the line voltage. This will help safeguard the electrical components in your heating and air conditioning equipment that the power surge could damage. Make sure you never touch any electrical components, and ask for a technician’s help if you are not comfortable using surge protectors properly.
Provide Cover
Your family and you need to seek shelter first and foremost, but if there is time, shut off your HVAC 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
After the storm ends, ensure the system is safe before turning your heating and cooling system back on. To get started, make sure there are no signs of damage and get rid of any debris from around the equipment. Try to examine and verify there is no apparent harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your AC. Call 239-908-6991 for a system inspection if appears there has been any damage or flooding to the equipment. Once you’ve had the system checked by a professional to ensure safe working, turn the heating and air conditioning system back on as soon as possible to help dry the home and prevent mold from getting into the system or ductwork.
If your equipment has suffered any damage, check out these recommendations 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 HVAC system in working order all seasons long.