Sometimes it feels like storm season is all year. Spring arrives with rain storms and tornadoes, while summer ushers in hurricane season. By the time the Atlantic hurricane season tapers off in November, snowstorms are upon the north. In August the storms wreaked havoc on our friends in Louisiana. The welfare of your family during hazardous storms should absolutely take priority. But even when the winds die down and the rain dries up, you still want to be sure that your home and family stay safe. Here are some tips for preparing your home’s heating and air conditioning equipment for storm season.
Anchor Your Air Conditioner
Your outdoor air conditioning equipment should be positioned on a concrete pad and properly secured to avoid the equipment from being thrown in the air or washing away over the course of a storm. If you are in a climate that generates hurricanes, it may be necessary to fasten your equipment with hurricane straps to protect the system from high winds. Ask your expert technician about anchoring your home’s air conditioner during your Fall Tune-up.
Stop the Surge
You can’t actually prevent the surge that often happens during a storm, but you can shield your Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment from it. Install a high-quality surge protector where any large appliances, a furnace for example, are plugged into a standard wall outlet, to automatically shut off 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 hurt. Remember to never touch any electrical components, and seek a technician’s help if you are not familiar with using surge protectors properly.
Provide Cover
Your loved ones and you need to acquire shelter first and foremost, but if time permits, shut off your heating and cooling system and cover the outside system with a tarp. Prior to turning your equipment back on after the storm, be sure to 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. To begin, verify there are no signs of damage and remove any debris surrounding the system. Try to examine and verify there is no visible harm to any of the refrigerant or electrical lines running from your air conditioner. Call 603-923-4570 for a system inspection if appears there has been any damage or flooding to the air conditioning. Once you’ve had the system checked by a technician 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 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 Strogen's Service Experts and find out about our membership options to help keep your heating and air conditioning system in working order all year long.