Hurricanes aren’t like other storms. If you don’t take the right precautions, they can cause a lot of damage to your property.
But one of the home features that get overlooked during hurricane prep is outdoor air conditioners. Getting your air conditioner ready for the strong winds and heavy rain, however, doesn’t take a lot of work.
If there’s a hurricane on the forecast, make sure you follow these air conditioner protection tips to ensure your unit stays safe during the storm.
1. Lift Your Unit off the Ground
Hurricanes bring a lot of water with them, and if your yard isn’t used to that much water, it can pool up around your air conditioner unit and cause damages. This is especially true if you live in a moderate or high-risk flood zone.
Raising your unit off the ground can help protect it from this water. But this might not be something you should try to do on your own. If you don’t have the right tools and the right amount of help, you may end up hurting yourself.
Get in touch with a professional HVAC expert to take care of it for you.
2. Secure or Remove Loose Items
If you have any loose items around your air conditioner, either secure them or remove them. This might include things like outdoor furniture, tools, children’s toys, etc. Otherwise, the strong hurricane winds might slam these items against your unit, which can lead to costly repairs.
3. Cover Your Unit
Even if there aren’t any loose items around your unit, a hurricane can still blow other debris, such as rocks, dirt, sticks, etc., into your air conditioner. These things can be a pain to remove, and they may even cause some damage inside the system.
Because of this, it’s a good idea to cover your outdoor air conditioning unit with a tarp (or a similar item) during the storm. If you choose to do this, remember to keep your unit turned off until you uncover it again!
4. Keep It Turned Off
Don’t turn your air conditioner on during a hurricane.
If there is lightning during the storm, it can cause power surges that’ll do a lot of harm to your system. And if debris gets into your unit while it’s running, the motor can burn out.
5. Schedule a “Well-Baby Checkup”
Once the storm passes, it’s a good idea to have a professional come out and examine your system. If they find any debris stuck inside, they can remove them before they cause damage or take care of any repairs.
Don’t put off this examination for too long. The longer you wait, the worse any problems will get, meaning you have to spend more money on repairs.
These Air Conditioner Protection Tips Will Keep Your Unit Safe
If there’s a hurricane heading your way, make sure you follow these air conditioner protection tips. You can also talk to a professional HVAC technician if you have any questions or need some advice.
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