Sometimes it feels like storm season is all year. Spring brings rain storms and tornadoes, while summer starts the hurricane season. By the time the Atlantic hurricane season tapers off in November, snowstorms are upon the north. Most recently the rains caused devastation for our friends in Louisiana. The safety of your family during perilous storms should always take priority. But even while the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still want to be sure that your home and family stay safe. Here are some suggestions for preparing your home’s heating and cooling equipment for storm season.
Attach Your Air Conditioning
Your outdoor AC equipment should be installed on a concrete pad and properly secured to avoid the equipment from being thrown in the air or washing away over the course of a storm. If you live in a climate that produces hurricanes, it may be critical to fasten your AC with hurricane straps to protect the system from high winds. Ask your expert technician about anchoring your home’s air conditioner during your Precision Tune-up.
Stop the Surge
You can’t literally stop the surge that often happens during a storm, but you can protect your heating and air conditioning equipment from it. Get a high-quality surge protector where any heavy 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 air conditioning equipment that the power surge could harm. Be sure never to touch any electrical components, and request expert help if you are not accustomed to using surge protectors properly.
Provide Cover
You and your family need to find shelter first and foremost, but if time allows, shut off your HVAC system and cover the outside system with a tarp. Prior to turning your equipment back on after the storm, make sure you remove the tarp and get rid of any debris.
This, Too, Shall Pass
Once the storm is over, make sure the system is safe before starting up your heating and air conditioning system. To get started, confirm there are no indications of damage and get rid of any debris surrounding the system. Try to examine and make sure there is no noticeable harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your air conditioner. Call 518-417-2938 for an AC inspection if it looks like there may have been any damage or flooding to the equipment. Once you’ve had the equipment inspected by an expert to ensure safe function, turn the heating and air conditioning system back on ASAP to help dry the home and prevent mold from getting into the system 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 Roland J. Down Service Experts and learn about our membership options to help keep your HVAC system in working order through all the seasons.