Prepping Your Homes HVAC Equipment for Storms

It feels like storm season is every season. Spring arrives with 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. Last month the rains caused destruction for our friends in Louisiana. The safety of your family during hazardous storms should absolutely 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 recommendations for preparing your home’s cooling and heating equipment for storm season.

Secure Your AC

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

Stop the Surge

You can’t literally prevent the surge that often comes during a storm, but you can shield your heating and cooling equipment from it. Put in a high-quality surge protector where any large appliances, a furnace for example, are plugged into a standard wall outlet, to automatically shut off your heating system if there’s an increase in the line voltage. This will help safeguard the electrical components in your heating and cooling equipment that the power surge could damage. Remember to never touch any electrical components, and ask for expert help if you are not familiar with using surge protectors properly.

Provide Cover

You and your family need to acquire shelter first and foremost, but if time allows, shut off your heating and air conditioning system and cover the outdoor equipment with a tarp. Before you turn your system back on after the storm, be sure to remove the tarp and clean up any debris.

This, Too, Shall Pass

When the storm has passed, be sure the system is safe before starting up your heating and air conditioning system. To begin, verify there are no signs of damage and clean any debris surrounding the equipment. Try to evaluate and make sure there is no noticeable harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your air conditioning system. Call 587-404-0790 for a system inspection if it looks like there may have been any damage or flooding to the air conditioning. Once you’ve had the equipment checked by an expert to ensure safe operation, 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 your equipment has suffered any damage, 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 find out about our Ultimate Protection Plan to help keep your heating and air conditioning system in working order through all the seasons.