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 comes to a close in November, snowfalls are upon the north. In August the storms caused destruction for our family in Louisiana. The welfare of your family during treacherous 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 are safe. Check out these suggestions for preparing your home’s heating and air conditioning equipment for storm season.
Anchor Your Air Conditioner
Your outside air conditioning equipment should be positioned on a concrete pad and properly attached to avoid the system from going up in the air or washing away during a storm. If you are in a climate that is subject to hurricanes, it may be critical to fasten your AC with hurricane straps to keep the system safe from high winds. Ask your air conditioning technician about securing your home’s air conditioner during your AC Tune-up.
Stop the Surge
You can’t really prevent the surge that often occurs during a storm, but you can shield your heating and air conditioning equipment from it. Get a high-quality surge protector where any heavy appliances, a furnace for example, 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 heating and cooling equipment that the power surge could damage. Be sure never to touch any electrical components, and request a technician’s help if you are not comfortable using surge protectors properly.
Provide Cover
Your family and you need to find shelter first and foremost, but if there is time, shut down your heating and cooling system and cover the outdoor system with a tarp. Before turning your system back on after the storm, make sure you remove the tarp and get rid of any debris.
This, Too, Shall Pass
Once the storm is over, be sure the system is safe before turning your heating and cooling system back on. First, verify there are no signs of damage and clean any debris from around the equipment. Try to examine and verify there is no apparent harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your air conditioning system. Call 315-313-6531 for a system inspection if appears there has been any damage or flooding to the system. Once you’ve had the equipment inspected by a professional to ensure safe operation, turn the heating and air conditioning system back on immediately to help dry the home and restrict mold from getting into your system 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 Falso Service Experts and find out about our membership options to help keep your heating and air conditioning system in working order all year long.