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 kicks off hurricane season. Before the Atlantic hurricane season tapers off in November, snowfalls are upon the north. The welfare of your family during hazardous storms should always take priority. But even as the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still need to make sure that your home and family remain unharmed. Check out these suggestions for preparing your home’s cooling and heating equipment for storm season. 

Attach Your Air Conditioning 

Your outside air conditioning equipment should be positioned on a concrete pad and properly anchored to keep the system from going airborne or washing away during a storm. If you are in a climate that generates hurricanes, it may be necessary to fasten your equipment with hurricane straps to keep the equipment safe from high winds. Ask your professional technician about fastening down your home’s AC during your Fall Tune-up. 

Stop the Surge 

You can’t actually prevent the surge that often happens during a storm, but you can shield your heating and air conditioning equipment from it. Put in a high-quality surge protector where any heavy appliances, a furnace for example, are plugged into a standard wall outlet, to automatically shut down your heating system if there’s a jump in the line voltage. This will help protect the electrical components in your HVAC equipment that the power surge could hurt. Make sure you never touch any electrical components, and ask for expert help if you are not comfortable using surge protectors properly. 

Provide Cover 

You and your family need to seek shelter first and foremost, but if time permits, shut off your heating and air conditioning system and cover the outside system with a tarp. Before turning your system back on after the storm, make sure you remove the tarp and get rid of any debris. 

This, Too, Shall Pass 

After the storm ends, make sure the system is safe before turning on your HVAC system. First, verify there are no signals of damage and clean any debris surrounding the equipment. Try to check and verify there is no apparent harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your air conditioning system. Call 954-736-4314 for an AC inspection if appears there has been any damage or flooding to the air conditioning. Once you’ve had the system inspected by an expert to ensure safe operation, turn the heating and air conditioning system back on ASAP to help dry the home and limit 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 Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning and ask about our membership options to help keep your HVAC system in working order all year long.