While your AC system is created to withstand all sorts of conditions, including precipitation and storm damage, sometimes you need to call your AC repair technician to inspect possible damage. If your air conditioner sits in standing water, due to a torrential downpour or other unexpected issues, it can cause serious damage to the moving parts and electrical pieces. The water usually has to reach about 15 inches in depth to affect your air conditioning system, but if there has been any flooding period, call D&K Home Services by Enercare for a safety inspection as soon as possible.
If heavy showers or flooding caused your air conditioner to sit in standing water, there are a handful of things we advise doing to avoid further damage or dangerous conditions:
- Turn off all the electrical controls for your AC system. If you are not comfortable turning off your switches, you can call your AC maintenance technician to help help you complete the process.
- Allow your air conditioner to dry out. Clear out any standing water if possible and carefully clear any debris from the immediate area.
- Do not turn on your air conditioning system until a professional air conditioning inspection has been done. Call D&K Home Services by Enercare and ensure your equipment will work safely and effectively with a full air conditioning system safety inspection.
NOTE: Do not cover your outdoor HVAC systems with a tarp. This can actually cause more damage, including not allowing the system to air out entirely and remove moisture, a could cause rust or other damage.
In addition to April showers, spring also brings hail storms, too. Every year thousands of commercial and residential air conditioning systems are damaged by hail. While you can usually see obvious damage from the outside, you may not be able to see that the damage inside the AC system may be causing restricted air flow, hindering the performance of the system. Sometimes you can fix the air conditioner more easily, by combing the fins or replacing the coil, but an insurance company’s claim breakdown showed that around a tenth of air conditioning units damaged by hail had to be entirely 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 sandboxes, can be thrown, damaging your air conditioner.
For a full air conditioning inspection and safety check, call D&K Home Services by Enercare 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.