Sometimes it feels like storm season is all year. Spring comes through with rain storms and tornadoes, while summer starts the hurricane season. By the time the Atlantic hurricane season ends in November, snowstorms are upon the north. In August the storms caused devastation for our family in Louisiana. The safety 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 be sure that your home and family are safe. Here are some tips for preparing your home’s cooling and heating equipment for storm season.
Anchor Your Air Conditioner
Your outdoor AC equipment should be placed on a concrete pad and properly secured to avoid the air conditioner from going up in the air or washing away over the course of a storm. If you reside in a climate that generates hurricanes, it may be required to fasten your equipment with hurricane straps to protect the system from high winds. Ask your air conditioning technician about fastening down your home’s air conditioner 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 air conditioning equipment from it. Install a high-quality surge protector where any sizable appliances, like a furnace, are plugged into a standard wall outlet, to automatically shut down your heating system if there’s an increase in the line voltage. This will help protect the electrical components in your heating and cooling equipment that the power surge could hurt. Make sure you never touch any electrical components, and request a technician’s help if you are not accustomed to using surge protectors properly.
Provide Cover
Your family and you need to seek shelter first and foremost, but if time allows, shut down your HVAC system and cover the outdoor equipment with a tarp. Before you turn your system back on after the storm, you must remove the tarp and clean up any debris.
This, Too, Shall Pass
When the storm has passed, be sure the system is safe before turning on your HVAC system. First, confirm there are no signals of damage and remove 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 air conditioning system. Call 865-229-6176 for an AC inspection if seems like there is any damage or flooding to the equipment. Once you’ve had the equipment checked by an expert to ensure safe function, turn the heating and cooling system back on as soon as possible to help dry the home and prevent mold from getting into your system or ductwork.
If your equipment has suffered any damage, check out these suggestions on What To Do If Your Air Conditioning System Experiences Flooding or Hail Damage and then call R & M Climate Control Service Experts and ask about our membership options to help keep your heating and air conditioning system in working order all year long.