While your air conditioning unit is made to withstand the weather, including heavy showers and hail damage, occasionally you need to call your AC repair technician to inspect possible damage. If your AC system sits in standing water, due to a torrential downpour or other unexpected issues, it can cause serious damage to the moving parts and electrical sections. The water usually has to reach about 15 inches in depth to affect your air conditioning system, but if there has been any flooding whatsoever, call Becht/Givens Service Experts for an AC inspection as soon as possible.
If heavy showers or flooding caused your AC system to sit in standing water, there are a couple of things we advise doing to avoid additional damage or a dangerous environment:
- Deactivate all the electrical switches to your AC system. If you are not comfortable turning off your switches, you can call your air conditioning service company to help assist you with the process.
- Allow your air conditioner to dry out. Remove any standing water if possible and cautiously clear any debris from around the area.
- Leave your AC system off until a professional air conditioner inspection has been completed. Call Becht/Givens Service Experts and ensure your equipment will operate safely and effectively with a full AC safety inspection.
REMEMBER: Do not cover your outdoor HVAC systems with a tarp. This could actually cause more damage, including not allowing the unit to air out entirely and remove moisture, possibly causing rust or other damage.
In addition to downpours, spring escorts in hail storms, also. Each year thousands of commercial and residential AC units are harmed by hail. While you can probably see obvious damage from the outside, you may not notice that the damage inside the air conditioner may be causing restricted air flow, hindering the performance of the system. Sometimes you can fix the air conditioning system more easily, by combing the fins or replacing the coil, but an insurance company’s claim breakdown showed that around 10% of air conditioning units damaged by hail had to be entirely replaced.
Strong winds tend to accompany storms and while your AC system probably won’t get wind damage, other things picked up by the wind, like tree limbs, grills, or children’s outdoor toys, can be thrown, damaging your system.
For a full air conditioning inspection and safety check, call Becht/Givens Service Experts today and we’ll make sure your air conditioner is running safely and efficiently. Help keep your loved ones safe during storm season and make sure to follow these guidelines if your area is under a serious storm warning.