As evidenced by recent events in Houston, hurricane season can have a devastating impact on vehicles, businesses, and homes, including your air conditioner. In reality, things don’t have to be a storm like Hurricane Harvey to do damage to your air conditioning unit and cause your home to become a hazardous environment.
Here are 3 things you should know concerning your air conditioner during a flood:
- Locate the breaker panel and turn off the power to your air conditioner unit and from the thermostat. You should never run your air conditioning system if it’s in standing water or submerged in water.
- If the air conditioner is on while it’s submerged in water it becomes an electrical shock hazard. An electrical current in the water around your air conditioner can transfer to other structures including inside your home. The system can be irreparably damaged as well if submerged in water.
- Another issue of running the air conditioning system in standing water is the possibility that the air intake forces water into the air ducts which can cause further damage to your house by bringing in more water.
It’s important to take action once the flood waters have gone to make sure your system is functioning properly. One of the first phone calls you need to make is to Weather Master to schedule an inspection by one of our certified technicians. It’s extremely important that you don’t turn on your air conditioner even if the water is gone and the situation looks safe.
After you have scheduled your appointment with Weather Master and are waiting for the technician, it’s a good idea to check your homeowner’s insurance to see what the policy covers for your home.
Once the technician arrives you can expect them to perform the following:
- Clean the coils
- Remove and inspect all of the electrical components for signs of corrosion or faults
- Inspect the seal around the condenser fan motor
- Clean the compressor terminal to prevent rust and corrosion
- Perform a complete tune-up and system check
Your Weather Master technician will examine the extent of the damage done to your system by the water and determine the best course of action and provide you with an estimate for the recommendation.