You may start to think that storm season is year around. Spring arrives with rain storms and tornadoes, while summer ushers in hurricane season. By the time the Atlantic hurricane season ends in November, snowstorms are upon the north. Most recently the rains wreaked havoc on our family in Louisiana. The well-being of your family during hazardous storms should invariably be priority. But even when the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still need to be sure that your home and family stay safe. See our suggestions for preparing your home’s heating and air conditioning equipment for storm season.
Attach Your Air Conditioner
Your outdoor AC equipment should be installed on a concrete pad and properly attached to keep the equipment from going up in the air or washing away over the course of a storm. If you are in a climate that generates hurricanes, it may be required to fasten your AC with hurricane straps to keep the equipment safe from high winds. Ask your air conditioning technician about fastening down your home’s air conditioning system during your AC Tune-up.
Stop the Surge
You can’t really stop the surge that often comes during a storm, but you can safeguard your heating and cooling equipment from it. Put in a high-quality surge protector where any large 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 safeguard the electrical components in your heating and air conditioning 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
Your family and you need to acquire shelter first and foremost, but if time permits, shut down your HVAC system and cover the outside equipment with a tarp. Before turning your system back on after the storm, you must remove the tarp and clean up any debris.
This, Too, Shall Pass
After the storm ends, be sure the system is safe before turning on your HVAC system. To get started, confirm there are no signals of damage and get rid of any debris surrounding the equipment. Try to check and confirm there is no apparent harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your AC. Call 727-219-2471 for a system inspection if seems like there is any damage or flooding to the system. Once you’ve had the equipment inspected by a professional to ensure safe working, turn the HVAC system back on as soon as possible to help dry the home and prevent mold from getting into the equipment or ductwork.
If your system has had any damage, check out these suggestions on What To Do If Your Air Conditioning System Experiences Flooding or Hail Damage and then call Midway Services and find out about our membership options to help keep your heating and cooling system in working order through all the seasons.