Prepping Your Home’s HVAC Equipment for Storms
Sometimes it feels like storm season is all year. Spring comes through with rain storms and tornadoes, while summer kicks off hurricane season. Before the Atlantic hurricane season tapers off in November, blizzards are upon the north. The well-being of your family during dangerous storms should absolutely take priority. But even when the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still want to be sure that your home and family remain unharmed. See our tips for preparing your home’s cooling and heating equipment for storm season.
Attach Your AC
Your outdoor AC equipment should be placed on a concrete pad and properly secured to avoid the equipment from going airborne or washing away over the course of a storm. If you reside in a climate that generates hurricanes, it may be necessary to fasten your air conditioner with hurricane straps to protect the system from high winds. Ask your professional technician about anchoring your home’s air conditioning system during your Precision Tune-up.
Stop the Surge
You can’t really prevent the surge that often occurs during a storm, but you can protect your heating and cooling equipment from it. Get 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 a jump in the line voltage. This will help safeguard 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 ask for professional help if you are not accustomed to using surge protectors properly.
Provide Cover
Your family and you need to acquire shelter first and foremost, but if time allows, turn off your heating and cooling system and cover the outdoor equipment with a tarp. Before turning your system back on after the storm, make sure you remove the tarp and remove 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 begin, make sure there are no indications of damage and get rid of any debris surrounding the system. Try to check and confirm there is no visible harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your AC. Call 614-334-3192 for a system inspection if it looks like there may have been any damage or flooding to the equipment. Once you’ve had the system inspected by a technician 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 your system or ductwork.
If there was any damage to your equipment, check out these recommendations on What To Do If Your Air Conditioning System Experiences Flooding or Hail Damage and then call Stevenson Service Experts and ask about our membership options to help keep your heating and cooling system in working order through all the seasons.
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