It feels like storm season is every season. Spring arrives with rain storms and tornadoes, while summer starts the hurricane season. Before the Atlantic hurricane season tapers off in November, blizzards are upon the north. Most recently the storms wreaked havoc on our family in Louisiana. The welfare of your family during dangerous storms should absolutely take priority. But even while the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still want to make sure that your home and family are safe. Here are some tips for preparing your home’s heating and air conditioning equipment for storm season.
Attach Your Air Conditioner
Your outdoor AC equipment should be installed on a concrete pad and properly fastened to prevent the equipment from being thrown in the air or washing away during a storm. If you reside in a climate that produces hurricanes, it may be required to fasten your air conditioner with hurricane straps to protect the system from high winds. Ask your expert technician about fastening down your home’s AC during your AC Tune-up.
Stop the Surge
You can’t really avoid the surge that often happens during a storm, but you can shield your Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment from it. Get a high-quality surge protector where any heavy appliances, a furnace for example, 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 safeguard the electrical components in your heating and cooling equipment that the power surge could damage. Make sure you never touch any electrical components, and request expert help if you are not comfortable using surge protectors properly.
Provide Cover
Your loved ones and you need to acquire shelter first and foremost, but if time allows, shut off your HVAC system and cover the outdoor equipment 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 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 evaluate and verify there is no apparent harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your air conditioner. Call 251-202-7503 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 checked by a professional to ensure safe function, turn the HVAC system back on as soon as possible to help dry the home and limit mold from getting into your system or ductwork.
If your system has had any damage, check out these tips on What To Do If Your Air Conditioning System Experiences Flooding or Hail Damage and then call Climate Control Service Experts and ask about our membership options to help keep your heating and air conditioning system in working order all seasons long.