Prepping Your Home’s HVAC Equipment for Storms 

Sometimes it feels like storm season is all year. Spring comes through with rain storms and tornadoes, while summer ushers in hurricane season. As the Atlantic hurricane season comes to a close in November, snowstorms are upon the north. The welfare of your family during hazardous storms should invariably be priority. But even as the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still need to be sure that your home and family are safe. Here are some recommendations for preparing your home’s heating and air conditioning equipment for storm season. 

Secure Your Air Conditioning 

Your outside AC equipment should be positioned on a concrete pad and properly fastened to keep the air conditioner from going up in the air or washing away in a storm. If you live 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 Fall Tune-up. 

Stop the Surge 

You can’t literally avoid the surge that often happens during a storm, but you can shield your heating and air conditioning equipment from it. Install a high-quality surge protector where any sizable 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 protect the electrical components in your heating and air conditioning equipment that the power surge could harm. Remember to never touch any electrical components, and seek professional help if you are not accustomed to using surge protectors properly. 

Provide Cover 

Your family and you need to acquire shelter first and foremost, but if there is time, turn off your heating and cooling 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 

When the storm has passed, ensure the system is safe before turning your heating and cooling system back on. To begin, verify there are no signals of damage and clean any debris from around the system. Try to evaluate and make sure there is no apparent harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your AC. Call 205-267-0023 for an AC inspection if appears there has been any damage or flooding to the air conditioning. Once you’ve had the system checked by a professional to ensure safe operation, turn the HVAC system back on immediately to help dry the home and prevent mold from getting into the equipment or ductwork. 

If there was any damage to your equipment, check out these tips on What To Do If Your Air Conditioning System Experiences Flooding or Hail Damage and then call Norrell Service Experts and ask about our membership options to help keep your heating and air conditioning system in working order all year long. 

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