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. As the Atlantic hurricane season tapers off in November, blizzards are upon the north. The welfare of your family during treacherous storms should always take priority. But even as the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still want to make sure that your home and family remain unharmed. Check out these recommendations for preparing your home’s heating and cooling equipment for storm season. 

Attach Your AC 

Your outdoor air conditioning equipment should be placed on a concrete pad and properly fastened to keep the equipment 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 necessary to fasten your AC with hurricane straps to protect the system from high winds. Ask your air conditioning technician about fastening down your home’s AC during your AC Tune-up. 

Stop the Surge 

You can’t really stop the surge that often happens during a storm, but you can shield your Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment from it. Install a high-quality surge protector where any heavy appliances, like a furnace, are plugged into a standard wall outlet, to automatically shut down your heating system if there’s a spike in the line voltage. This will help shield the electrical components in your heating and cooling equipment that the power surge could damage. Be sure never to 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 acquire shelter first and foremost, but if time allows, turn off your HVAC system and cover the outdoor system with a tarp. Before turning your system back on after the storm, you must remove the tarp and remove any debris. 

This, Too, Shall Pass 

Once the storm is over, be sure the system is safe before starting up your heating and air conditioning system. To get started, make sure there are no signals of damage and clean any debris from around the equipment. Try to evaluate and make sure there is no noticeable harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your air conditioning system. Call 954-736-4314 for an equipment inspection if it looks like there may have been any damage or flooding to the equipment. Once you’ve had the equipment checked by a technician to ensure safe operation, turn the heating and cooling system back on immediately to help dry the home and prevent mold from getting into the system or ductwork. 

If your system has had any damage, 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 ask about our membership options to help keep your heating and cooling system in working order all year long.