While your AC system is made to withstand the weather, including rain and storm damage, sometimes you need to call your AC maintenance 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 significant damage to the moving parts and electrical components. The water usually has to reach about a foot in depth to affect your AC system, but if there has been any flooding at all, call R & M Climate Control Service Experts for an AC inspection right away.
If intense rainfall or flooding caused your AC system to sit in standing water, there are a few things we advise doing to avoid more damage or a dangerous environment:
- Turn off all the electrical switches to your AC system. If you are not comfortable doing this, you can call your air conditioning service technician to help assist you with the process.
- Allow your air conditioner to dry out. Clear out any standing water if possible and carefully clear any debris from the immediate area.
- Don’t turn your air conditioner back on until a professional air conditioner inspection has been done. Call R & M Climate Control Service Experts and ensure your equipment will operate safely and effectively with a full air conditioner safety inspection.
REMEMBER: Do not cover your outdoor heating and air conditioning systems with a tarp. This could actually cause more problems, including not allowing the air conditioner to air out properly and remove moisture, a could cause rust or other damage.
In addition to April showers, spring tends to bring hail storms, as well. Annually thousands of commercial and residential AC units are in need of repair because of hail. While you can probably see obvious damage from the outside, you may not notice that the damage inside the air conditioning unit may be causing restricted air flow, hindering the performance of the system. Sometimes you can fix the AC unit more easily, by combing the fins or replacing the coil, but an insurance company’s claim breakdown showed that around a tenth of air conditioners damaged by hail had to be fully replaced.
Intense winds tend to accompany storms and while your air conditioning unit probably won’t get wind damage, other things picked up by the wind, like tree limbs, furniture, or sandboxes, can be thrown, damaging your air conditioner.
For a full AC inspection and safety check, call R & M Climate Control Service Experts today and we’ll make sure your AC system is working safely and efficiently. Help keep your family safe during storm season and make sure to follow these guidelines if your area is under a serious storm warning.