While your air conditioning unit is created to withstand the elements, including precipitation and hail damage, there are times when 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 pieces. The water usually has to reach about 15 inches in depth to affect your air conditioner, but if there has been any flooding at all, call Teays Valley Service Experts for a safety inspection as soon as possible.
If severe storms or flooding caused your AC system to sit in standing water, there are a couple of things we suggest doing to avoid additional damage or dangerous situations:
- Turn off all the electrical controls to your air conditioning system. If you are not comfortable with this, you can call your air conditioning repair company to help assist you with the process.
- Allow your air conditioner to dry out. Clear out any standing water if possible and carefully clear any debris from the surrounding area.
- Leave your AC system off until a professional air conditioning inspection has been performed. Call Teays Valley Service Experts and ensure your equipment will work safely and effectively with a full AC safety inspection.
REMEMBER: Do not cover your outdoor heating and cooling systems with a tarp. This could actually cause more issues, including not allowing the air conditioner to air out completely and remove moisture, a could cause rust or other damage.
In addition to rain, spring tends to bring hail storms, as well. Every year thousands of commercial and residential AC units are damaged by 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, decreasing 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 one out of ten of AC systems damaged by hail had to be completely replaced.
Intense winds tend to accompany storms and while your air conditioner probably won’t get wind damage, other things picked up by the wind, like tree limbs, furniture, or children’s outdoor toys, can be thrown, damaging your air conditioner.
For a full AC inspection and safety check, call Teays Valley Service Experts today and we’ll make sure your air conditioning unit is working safely and efficiently. Help keep your family safe during storm season and make sure to follow these guidelines if your area is under a serious storm warning.