Sometimes it feels like storm season is all year. Spring arrives with rain storms and tornadoes, while summer kicks off hurricane season. By the time the Atlantic hurricane season tapers off in November, snowstorms are upon the north. Most recently the storms wreaked havoc on our family in Louisiana. The welfare of your family during dangerous storms should always take priority. But even while the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still need to make sure that your home and family remain unharmed. Here are some tips for preparing your home’s cooling and heating equipment for storm season.
Attach Your AC
Your outdoor air conditioning equipment should be installed on a concrete pad and properly fastened to avoid the system from going up in the air or washing away over the course of a storm. If you live in a climate that generates hurricanes, it may be required to fasten your equipment with hurricane straps to protect the equipment from high winds. Ask your air conditioning technician about securing your home’s AC during your AC Tune-up.
Stop the Surge
You can’t literally avoid 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 spike in the line voltage. This will help protect the electrical components in your heating and air conditioning equipment that the power surge could harm. Make sure you never touch any electrical components, and request expert help if you are not comfortable using surge protectors properly.
Provide Cover
You and your family need to find shelter first and foremost, but if there is time, turn off your HVAC system and cover the outside system with a tarp. Before you turn your system back on after the storm, be sure to remove the tarp and clean up any debris.
This, Too, Shall Pass
After the storm ends, be sure the system is safe before turning your heating and cooling system back on. To begin, confirm there are no indications of damage and get rid of any debris from around the system. Try to evaluate and confirm there is no noticeable harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your air conditioning system. Call 631-406-9220 for a system inspection if seems like there is any damage or flooding to the equipment. Once you’ve had the system inspected by an expert to ensure safe operation, turn the HVAC 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 Matz-Rightway and ask about our membership options to help keep your heating and cooling system in working order all seasons long.