Sometimes it feels like storm season is all year. Spring arrives with rain storms and tornadoes, while summer ushers in hurricane season. As the Atlantic hurricane season tapers off in November, blizzards are upon the north. Most recently the floods caused devastation for our family in Louisiana. The welfare of your family during perilous storms should invariably be priority. But even as the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still need to be sure that your home and family remain unharmed. Check out these suggestions for preparing your home’s heating and cooling equipment for storm season.
Secure Your AC
Your outdoor air conditioning equipment should be positioned on a concrete pad and properly anchored to prevent the system from being thrown in the air or washing away over the course of a storm. If you are in a climate that is subject to hurricanes, it may be necessary to fasten your equipment with hurricane straps to keep the equipment safe from high winds. Ask your professional technician about securing your home’s air conditioning system during your Fall Tune-up.
Stop the Surge
You can’t really avoid the surge that often happens during a storm, but you can shield your heating and air conditioning equipment from it. Put in a high-quality surge protector where any heavy appliances, such as a furnace, are plugged into a standard wall outlet, to automatically shut off your heating system if there’s a jump in the line voltage. This will help shield the electrical components in your heating and cooling equipment that the power surge could hurt. Be sure never to touch any electrical components, and ask for a technician’s help if you are not familiar with using surge protectors properly.
Provide Cover
You and your family need to find shelter first and foremost, but if time permits, shut down your HVAC system and cover the outdoor equipment with a tarp. Before turning your system back on after the storm, you must remove the tarp and remove any debris.
This, Too, Shall Pass
When the storm has passed, ensure the system is safe before starting up your heating and air conditioning system. First, verify there are no signs of damage and get rid of any debris from around the system. Try to evaluate and verify there is no apparent harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your air conditioning system. Call 215-278-9690 for an AC inspection if appears there has been any damage or flooding to the equipment. Once you’ve had the system checked by an expert to ensure safe working, turn the heating and air conditioning system back on ASAP to help dry the home and prevent mold from getting into the system or ductwork.
If your equipment has suffered any damage, check out these tips on What To Do If Your Air Conditioning System Experiences Flooding or Hail Damage and then call Stallion Heating Plumbing Air Conditioning and ask about our membership options to help keep your heating and air conditioning system in working order all seasons long.