Prepping Your Home's HVAC Equipment for Storms
It feels like storm season is every season. Spring comes through with rain storms and tornadoes, while summer starts the hurricane season. Before the Atlantic hurricane season tapers off in November, snowfalls are upon the north. Most recently the storms caused devastation for our family in Louisiana. The safety of your family during hazardous storms should absolutely take priority. But even when the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still need to make sure that your home and family are safe. See our suggestions for preparing your home’s cooling and heating equipment for storm season.
Secure Your Air Conditioner
Your outdoor air conditioning equipment should be placed on a concrete pad and properly secured to keep the air conditioner from being thrown in the air or washing away over the course of a storm. If you are in a climate that generates hurricanes, it may be required to fasten your air conditioner with hurricane straps to keep the equipment safe from high winds. Ask your professional technician about anchoring your home’s air conditioner during your Precision Tune-up.
Stop the Surge
You can’t actually prevent the surge that often happens during a storm, but you can safeguard your heating and air conditioning equipment from it. Put in 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 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 seek professional 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 there is time, 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 clean up 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 begin, verify there are no signs of damage and get rid of any debris from around the equipment. Try to examine and make sure there is no noticeable harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your air conditioner. Call 502-785-8230 for an equipment inspection if seems like there is any damage or flooding to the system. Once you’ve had the system inspected by a professional to ensure safe working, turn the heating and air conditioning system back on ASAP to help dry the home and prevent mold from getting into the equipment or ductwork.
If there was any damage to your equipment, check out these tips on What To Do If Your Air Conditioning System Experiences Flooding or Hail Damage and then call Becht/Givens Service Experts and ask about our membership options to help keep your HVAC system in working order all seasons long.
