Spring often brings stormy weather to Central New Jersey, so it’s essential to be prepared in advance for high winds, heavy rain, lightning, floods or hail. In addition to having emergency supplies on hand and safeguarding your home, it’s important to take steps to protect your costly HVAC equipment from damage. You can get started with these HVAC-specific spring storm preparation tips.
Worthwhile Advance Preparations
If you want to minimize any inconvenience and damage from bad weather, consider whole-house surge protection to shield your sensitive HVAC components and other household equipment during a lightning storm. To protect your outdoor A/C unit from impact damage, you can have hail guards installed. If you’re worried about extended power outages, investigate the benefits of owning a backup generator to keep your HVAC system functioning when the grid goes down.
Steps to Take When a Storm is Forecast
When the weather report warns you that a storm is moving in, put away any items that the wind can send flying — this includes outdoor furniture, yard equipment, garden tools, bicycles, toys, etc. Next, shut down the HVAC system via the thermostat switch. If hail is in the forecast, cover the outdoor condenser with a fitted cover or tarp that’s well-secured with bungee cords or rope.
What to Do After a Storm
Before you turn the HVAC system back on, take safety precautions such as calling your electric supplier to see if there are any power lines down nearby. Then, uncover the outdoor unit and examine it:
- Are the refrigerant lines or wiring damaged or frayed?
- Does it look like the unit was flooded or under water?
- Do the condenser coil fins have significant dings and dents?
- Do you see scorch marks or notice a burning smell?
If you find any of the above issues, call your HVAC professional before restoring power to the unit. If everything looks fine, clean up any debris around the condenser, then head indoors and turn on the thermostat.
For more HVAC spring storm preparation advice, contact the Central New Jersey home comfort pros at Elite Air today. We’ve been serving commercial and residential clients throughout the greater Trenton area since 1986.
