While your air conditioning unit is made to withstand the weather, including rain and hail damage, sometimes you need to call your AC repair technician to inspect likely damage. If your air conditioner sits in standing water, due to a torrential downpour or other unexpected issues, it can cause severe damage to the moving parts and electrical components. The water usually has to reach about a foot in depth to affect your AC system, but if there has been any flooding whatsoever, call Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning for an air conditioner inspection as soon as possible.
If intense rainfall or flooding caused your air conditioning unit to sit in standing water, there are a handful of things we recommend doing to avoid further damage or dangerous conditions:
- Disable all the electrical controls to your air conditioning system. If you are not comfortable doing this, you can call your AC maintenance expert to help help you complete the process.
- Allow your air conditioning equipment to dry out. Remove any standing water if possible and safely clear any debris from around the area.
- Do not turn on your air conditioning system until a professional AC inspection has been done. Call Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning and ensure your equipment will run safely and effectively with a full air conditioner safety inspection.
CAUTION: Do not cover your outdoor heating and cooling systems with a tarp. This can actually cause more problems, including not allowing the system to air out properly and remove moisture, a could cause rust or other damage.
In addition to downpours, spring escorts in hail storms, as well. Every year thousands of commercial and residential air conditioning systems are in need of repair because of hail. While you can usually see obvious damage from the outside, you may not realize that the damage inside the air conditioner may be causing restricted air flow, hindering the performance of the system. Sometimes you can fix the air conditioning system more easily, by combing the fins or replacing the coil, but an insurance company’s claim breakdown showed that around 10% of AC systems damaged by hail had to be completely replaced.
High winds tend to accompany storms and while your air conditioning unit probably won’t get wind damage, other items picked up by the wind, like tree branches, trash cans, or children’s outdoor toys, can be thrown, damaging your air conditioner.
For a full AC inspection and safety check, call Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning today and we’ll make sure your air conditioning unit is working safely and efficiently. Help keep your home safe during storm season and make sure to follow these guidelines if your neighborhood is under a serious storm warning.