Prepping Your Home’s HVAC Equipment for Storms
It feels like storm season is every season. Spring comes through with rain storms and tornadoes, while summer kicks off hurricane season. By the time the Atlantic hurricane season tapers off in November, blizzards are upon the north. The well-being of your family during hazardous storms should absolutely take priority. But even as the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still want to make sure that your home and family remain unharmed. Here are some suggestions for preparing your home’s heating and cooling equipment for storm season.
Secure Your Air Conditioner
Your outside air conditioning equipment should be placed on a concrete pad and properly attached to prevent the system from being thrown in the air or washing away during a storm. If you live in a climate that generates hurricanes, it may be required to fasten your AC with hurricane straps to keep the system safe from high winds. Ask your expert technician about anchoring your home’s air conditioner during your Precision Tune-up.
Stop the Surge
You can’t literally prevent the surge that often occurs during a storm, but you can protect your heating and air conditioning 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 off your heating system if there’s a spike in the line voltage. This will help safeguard the electrical components in your HVAC equipment that the power surge could damage. Remember to never touch any electrical components, and seek professional help if you are not accustomed to using surge protectors properly.
Provide Cover
Your loved ones and you need to find shelter first and foremost, but if time allows, shut down your HVAC system and cover the outside equipment with a tarp. Before turning your system back on after the storm, be sure to remove the tarp and get rid of any debris.
This, Too, Shall Pass
After the storm ends, make sure the system is safe before starting up your heating and air conditioning system. To begin, make sure there are no signs of damage and remove any debris surrounding the equipment. Try to evaluate and verify there is no visible harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your air conditioner. Call 614-334-3192 for an AC inspection if it looks like there may have been any damage or flooding to the system. Once you’ve had the system checked by an expert to ensure safe operation, turn the HVAC system back on as soon as possible to help dry the home and restrict mold from getting into your 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 Stevenson Service Experts and ask about our membership options to help keep your HVAC system in working order all seasons long.
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