Prepping Your Home's HVAC Equipment for Storms

Sometimes it feels like storm season is all year. Spring arrives with rain storms and tornadoes, while summer kicks off hurricane season. Before the Atlantic hurricane season ends in November, snowstorms are upon the north. Last month the floods caused devastation for our loved ones in Louisiana. The safety of your family during hazardous storms should absolutely take priority. But even when 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 suggestions for preparing your home’s heating and cooling equipment for storm season.

Attach Your Air Conditioning

Your outdoor AC equipment should be installed on a concrete pad and properly secured to keep the system from being thrown in the air or washing away over the course of a storm. If you live in a climate that produces hurricanes, it may be required to fasten your air conditioner with hurricane straps to keep the system safe from high winds. Ask your air conditioning technician about securing your home’s air conditioning system during your Precision Tune-up.

Stop the Surge

You can’t actually avoid the surge that often happens during a storm, but you can safeguard your heating and air conditioning 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 down your heating system if there’s a spike in the line voltage. This will help protect the electrical components in your HVAC equipment that the power surge could damage. Be sure never to touch any electrical components, and request expert help if you are not accustomed to using surge protectors properly.

Provide Cover

You and your family need to find shelter first and foremost, but if time permits, turn off your HVAC system and cover the outside equipment with a tarp. Before turning your system back on after the storm, make sure you remove the tarp and remove any debris.

This, Too, Shall Pass

After the storm ends, be sure the system is safe before turning on your HVAC system. To get started, confirm there are no signs of damage and clean any debris surrounding the equipment. Try to examine and make sure there is no noticeable harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your AC. Call 484-401-7577 for a system inspection if seems like there is any damage or flooding to the system. Once you’ve had the equipment inspected by a technician to ensure safe function, turn the heating and air conditioning system back on as soon as possible to help dry the home and restrict mold from getting into the equipment or ductwork.

If there was any damage to your equipment, check out these recommendations on What To Do If Your Air Conditioning System Experiences Flooding or Hail Damage and then call Wesley Wood Service Experts and learn about our membership options to help keep your heating and air conditioning system in working order through all the seasons.