Prepping Your Home’s HVAC Equipment for Storms
You may start to think that storm season is year around. Spring comes through with rain storms and tornadoes, while summer starts the hurricane season. As the Atlantic hurricane season comes to a close in November, blizzards are upon the north. The well-being of your family during hazardous storms should absolutely take priority. But even as the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still need to make sure that your home and family are safe. Check out these tips for preparing your home’s heating and cooling equipment for storm season.
Anchor Your Air Conditioning
Your outdoor air conditioning equipment should be positioned on a concrete pad and properly attached to avoid the air conditioner from going up in the air or washing away over the course of a storm. If you are in a climate that produces hurricanes, it may be required to fasten your AC with hurricane straps to keep the system safe from high winds. Ask your expert technician about anchoring your home’s air conditioning system during your AC Tune-up.
Stop the Surge
You can’t literally stop the surge that often happens during a storm, but you can safeguard your heating and air conditioning equipment from it. Put in a high-quality surge protector where any sizable appliances, a furnace for example, are plugged into a standard wall outlet, to automatically turn off your heating system if there’s an increase in the line voltage. This will help protect the electrical components in your HVAC equipment that the power surge could damage. Remember to never touch any electrical components, and ask for professional help if you are not accustomed to using surge protectors properly.
Provide Cover
Your family and you need to find shelter first and foremost, but if time permits, shut down your heating and air conditioning system and cover the outside equipment with a tarp. Before you turn 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. To begin, make sure there are no indications of damage and clean any debris from around the equipment. Try to examine and confirm there is no noticeable harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your AC. Call 614-334-3192 for a system inspection if it looks like there may have been any damage or flooding to the air conditioning. Once you’ve had the equipment checked by a technician to ensure safe function, 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 suggestions 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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