Prepping Your Home’s HVAC Equipment for Storms
It feels like storm season is every season. Spring arrives with rain storms and tornadoes, while summer starts the hurricane season. By the time the Atlantic hurricane season comes to a close in November, snowfalls are upon the north. The safety of your family during perilous 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 are safe. See our recommendations 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 secured to keep the equipment from going up 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 critical to fasten your AC with hurricane straps to protect the system from high winds. Ask your expert technician about anchoring your home’s air conditioner during your AC Tune-up.
Stop the Surge
You can’t really stop the surge that often occurs during a storm, but you can safeguard your Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment from it. Get a high-quality surge protector where any large 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 safeguard the electrical components in your heating and air conditioning equipment that the power surge could harm. Remember to never touch any electrical components, and seek professional help if you are not familiar with using surge protectors properly.
Provide Cover
Your loved ones and you need to find shelter first and foremost, but if there is time, shut off your heating and air conditioning system and cover the outside equipment with a tarp. Before you turn your system back on after the storm, you must remove the tarp and get rid of any debris.
This, Too, Shall Pass
Once the storm is over, ensure the system is safe before starting up your heating and air conditioning system. First, make sure there are no indications of damage and get rid of any debris from around the system. Try to check and confirm there is no noticeable harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your air conditioner. Call 614-334-3192 for a system inspection if appears there has been any damage or flooding to the equipment. Once you’ve had the equipment checked by an expert to ensure safe working, turn the HVAC system back on ASAP to help dry the home and restrict mold from getting into the 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 Stevenson Service Experts and ask about our membership options to help keep your HVAC system in working order all year long.
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