Preparing for Summer

Many people think about winter when they think about damaging storms, but other seasons, particularly spring and summer, can have their fair share of severe storms as well — and these storms can wreak serious havoc on your HVAC system. Unfortunately, storm damage can result in expensive repairs and a shortened lifespan for your system. Because of this, you want to do everything you can to ensure that your system is adequately protected if your weather forecast shows strong winds, heavy rain, thunder, and/or lightning. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Cover and Secure the Outside Unit

Your first step should be to use a piece of plywood or tarp to cover the outside air conditioning unit. In doing so, debris will be prevented from getting inside and ruining the condenser. In addition, this will help prevent heavy rainfall from causing the system from flooding. Now, if extremely high winds are expected with the storm, you should use tie-down straps to secure the unit.

Install a Surge Protector

While you always hope that lightning will never strike your home, it can happen, and it can cause irreparable damage to equipment inside your home, including your HVAC system. The best way to protect your home from lightning strikes is to have a surge protector installed. A surge protector will help shield your HVAC system from being overloaded with electrical energy, as the surge protector will help ground the lightning. It is wise to utilize power strips in addition to surge protectors for smaller appliances and electronics in the home.

Turn the HVAC System Off

While you may have a surge protector installed, it is a good idea to simply turn the HVAC system off as the storm approaches. In doing so, you will be protecting the unit from potential electrical surges in the event that the lightning does strike or the power goes out completely and then comes back on. For an additional line of defense, you can turn the breakers off.

Schedule an Inspection

The best thing you can do, though, is get in touch with an HVAC company and have a professional inspection conducted on your system. If there are any minor issues present with your system, the professional will be able to identify them and repair them prior to a storm coming through and potentially worsening the problem.

For more information, contact local HVAC services.