Sometimes it feels like storm season is all year. Spring arrives 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. Last month the storms wreaked havoc on our friends in Louisiana. The welfare of your family during treacherous storms should invariably be priority. But even while the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still need to make sure that your home and family are safe. Check out these recommendations for preparing your home’s heating and cooling equipment for storm season.
Anchor Your AC
Your outdoor AC equipment should be placed on a concrete pad and properly fastened to avoid the air conditioner from going up in the air or washing away in a storm. If you reside in a climate that is subject to hurricanes, it may be critical to fasten your AC with hurricane straps to keep the equipment safe from high winds. Ask your expert technician about fastening down your home’s AC during your Precision Tune-up.
Stop the Surge
You can’t literally prevent the surge that often occurs during a storm, but you can shield your Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment from it. Install a high-quality surge protector where any sizable appliances, such as 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 cooling equipment that the power surge could hurt. Make sure you never touch any electrical components, and ask for professional 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 there is time, turn off your heating and cooling system and cover the outside equipment 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
Once the storm is over, be sure the system is safe before starting up your heating and air conditioning system. First, make sure there are no signals of damage and get rid of any debris surrounding the system. Try to examine and verify there is no noticeable harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your AC. Call 440-252-1375 for an AC inspection if appears there has been any damage or flooding to the system. Once you’ve had the equipment checked by an expert to ensure safe operation, turn the heating and cooling system back on as soon as possible to help dry the home and restrict mold from getting into the equipment 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 membership options to help keep your heating and cooling system in working order all seasons long.