Prepping Your Home’s HVAC Equipment for Storms 

Sometimes it feels like storm season is all year. Spring brings rain storms and tornadoes, while summer starts the hurricane season. As the Atlantic hurricane season tapers off in November, snowfalls are upon the north. 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 stay safe. Here are some suggestions for preparing your home’s heating and cooling equipment for storm season. 

Anchor Your AC 

Your outdoor air conditioning equipment should be installed on a concrete pad and properly anchored to avoid the equipment from going up in the air or washing away over the course of a storm. If you live in a climate that is subject to hurricanes, it may be required to fasten your AC with hurricane straps to protect the equipment from high winds. Ask your professional technician about securing your home’s air conditioning system during your Precision Tune-up. 

Stop the Surge 

You can’t actually avoid the surge that often occurs during a storm, but you can safeguard 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 HVAC equipment that the power surge could harm. Remember to never touch any electrical components, and seek a technician’s help if you are not familiar with using surge protectors properly. 

Provide Cover 

Your family and you need to acquire shelter first and foremost, but if time permits, turn off your heating and air conditioning system and cover the outdoor equipment with a tarp. Prior to turning your equipment back on after the storm, be sure to remove the tarp and remove any debris. 

This, Too, Shall Pass 

When the storm has passed, make sure the system is safe before starting up your heating and air conditioning system. To begin, verify there are no signals of damage and clean any debris surrounding the equipment. Try to evaluate and verify there is no noticeable harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your AC. Call 954-736-4314 for an AC inspection if it looks like there may have been any damage or flooding to the air conditioning. Once you’ve had the system inspected by an expert to ensure safe working, turn the heating and air conditioning system back on immediately 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 Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning and find out about our membership options to help keep your heating and air conditioning system in working order all year long.