Prepping Your Home's HVAC Equipment for Storms
You may start to think that storm season is year around. Spring brings rain storms and tornadoes, while summer ushers in hurricane season. As the Atlantic hurricane season ends in November, blizzards are upon the north. In August the storms caused devastation for our friends in Louisiana. 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 be sure that your home and family stay safe. Check out these suggestions for preparing your home’s heating and air conditioning equipment for storm season.
Anchor Your AC
Your outside air conditioning equipment should be positioned on a concrete pad and properly secured to keep the equipment from being thrown in the air or washing away over the course of a storm. If you live in a climate that produces hurricanes, it may be necessary to fasten your air conditioner with hurricane straps to keep the system safe from high winds. Ask your expert technician about securing your home’s air conditioner during your Fall Tune-up.
Stop the Surge
You can’t literally avoid the surge that often happens during a storm, but you can protect your heating and cooling equipment from it. Get a high-quality surge protector where any sizable appliances, like a furnace, are plugged into a standard wall outlet, to automatically turn off your heating system if there’s an increase in the line voltage. This will help shield the electrical components in your heating and air conditioning equipment that the power surge could damage. Remember to never touch any electrical components, and request professional help if you are not familiar with using surge protectors properly.
Provide Cover
Your loved ones and you need to acquire shelter first and foremost, but if time permits, shut down your heating and air conditioning system and cover the outside system with a tarp. Before you turn your system back on after the storm, you must remove the tarp and clean up any debris.
This, Too, Shall Pass
Once the storm is over, make sure the system is safe before turning on your HVAC system. To begin, confirm 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 air conditioning system. Call 856-310-4824 for an equipment inspection if seems like there is any damage or flooding to the equipment. Once you’ve had the equipment inspected by a technician to ensure safe function, turn the HVAC system back on immediately to help dry the home and limit mold from getting into the system or ductwork.
If there was any damage to your equipment, check out these suggestions on What To Do If Your Air Conditioning System Experiences Flooding or Hail Damage and then call Atmostemp Service Experts and learn about our membership options to help keep your heating and cooling system in working order all year long.
