It feels like storm season is every season. Spring comes through with rain storms and tornadoes, while summer starts the hurricane season. By the time the Atlantic hurricane season tapers off in November, blizzards are upon the north. Most recently the floods caused devastation for our friends in Louisiana. The safety of your family during hazardous storms should always take priority. But even as the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still need to be sure that your home and family stay safe. Here are some tips for preparing your home’s heating and cooling equipment for storm season.
Attach Your AC
Your outside air conditioning equipment should be installed on a concrete pad and properly fastened to keep the system from being thrown in the air or washing away in a storm. If you reside in a climate that produces hurricanes, it may be necessary to fasten your AC with hurricane straps to protect the system from high winds. Ask your air conditioning technician about anchoring your home’s air conditioner during your AC Tune-up.
Stop the Surge
You can’t really prevent the surge that often comes during a storm, but you can safeguard your heating and cooling 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 shut down your heating system if there’s an increase in the line voltage. This will help shield the electrical components in your heating and air conditioning equipment that the power surge could hurt. Make sure you never touch any electrical components, and ask for professional 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 allows, shut down your HVAC system and cover the outside system 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, be sure the system is safe before turning your heating and cooling system back on. To begin, confirm there are no signals of damage and get rid of any debris from around the equipment. Try to check and confirm there is no noticeable harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your air conditioner. Call 901-235-1196 for an equipment inspection if it looks like there may have been any damage or flooding to the equipment. Once you’ve had the system inspected by a professional to ensure safe operation, turn the heating and air conditioning system back on ASAP to help dry the home and restrict mold from getting into your equipment 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 Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning and learn about our membership options to help keep your heating and air conditioning system in working order through all the seasons.