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 comes to a close in November, snowfalls are upon the north. Last month the rains wreaked havoc on our family in Louisiana. The safety of your family during treacherous storms should always take priority. But even while the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still need to be sure that your home and family remain unharmed. Check out these suggestions for preparing your home’s cooling and heating equipment for storm season.
Anchor Your AC
Your outdoor AC equipment should be positioned on a concrete pad and properly anchored to avoid the system from being thrown in the air or washing away during a storm. If you are in a climate that is subject to hurricanes, it may be necessary to fasten your air conditioner with hurricane straps to keep the equipment safe from high winds. Ask your air conditioning technician about anchoring your home’s air conditioning system during your Precision Tune-up.
Stop the Surge
You can’t literally prevent the surge that often happens during a storm, but you can protect your heating and cooling equipment from it. Install 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 heating and cooling equipment that the power surge could damage. Make sure you never touch any electrical components, and request professional help if you are not accustomed to using surge protectors properly.
Provide Cover
You and your family need to seek shelter first and foremost, but if there is time, turn off your heating and air conditioning system and cover the outside system with a tarp. Before turning your system back on after the storm, you must remove the tarp and clean up any debris.
This, Too, Shall Pass
When the storm has passed, make sure the system is safe before starting up your heating and air conditioning system. First, make sure there are no signs of damage and get rid of any debris from around the system. Try to examine and make sure there is no noticeable harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your AC. Call 918-212-8927 for an AC inspection if appears there has been any damage or flooding to the equipment. Once you’ve had the equipment checked by a technician to ensure safe operation, turn the heating and air conditioning system back on as soon as possible to help dry the home and prevent 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 Jack Nelson Service Experts and find out about our membership options to help keep your heating and cooling system in working order all seasons long.