You may start to think that storm season is year around. Spring arrives with rain storms and tornadoes, while summer ushers in hurricane season. As the Atlantic hurricane season ends in November, snowfalls are upon the north. Last month the floods caused destruction for our loved ones in Louisiana. The welfare of your family during dangerous storms should invariably be priority. But even while the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still want to be sure that your home and family are safe. Here are some recommendations for preparing your home’s heating and cooling equipment for storm season.
Anchor Your Air Conditioning
Your outside AC equipment should be positioned on a concrete pad and properly anchored to keep the equipment from going up in the air or washing away over the course of a storm. If you live in a climate that is subject to hurricanes, it may be required to fasten your equipment with hurricane straps to keep the system safe from high winds. Ask your professional technician about fastening down your home’s air conditioner during your Precision Tune-up.
Stop the Surge
You can’t actually stop the surge that often happens during a storm, but you can shield your heating and air conditioning equipment from it. Install a high-quality surge protector where any heavy appliances, like 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 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 a technician’s help if you are not familiar with using surge protectors properly.
Provide Cover
Your family and you need to find shelter first and foremost, but if there is time, turn off your heating and cooling system and cover the outside system with a tarp. Prior to turning your equipment back on after the storm, make sure you remove the tarp and get rid of any debris.
This, Too, Shall Pass
After the storm ends, be sure the system is safe before starting up your heating and air conditioning system. First, verify there are no signals of damage and get rid of any debris from around the system. Try to evaluate and confirm there is no visible harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your air conditioning system. Call 716-427-6807 for an AC inspection if it looks like there may have been any damage or flooding to the air conditioning. Once you’ve had the system inspected 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 limit mold from getting into your system or ductwork.
If your system has had any damage, check out these tips on What To Do If Your Air Conditioning System Experiences Flooding or Hail Damage and then call Sunbeam Service Experts and ask about our membership options to help keep your heating and air conditioning system in working order through all the seasons.