Prepare Your Condensing Unit for a Hurricane!
With a hurricane brewing off the East Coast of the US, many people may be wondering if they need to do anything to their outdoor air conditioner condensing unit or heat pump, before the storm comes along! The entire east coast seems to be on alert from the storm this week (except the sunshine stats, who has a Florida Energy Rebate taking effect tomorrow)
How to Prepare HVAC For a Hurricane
If you plan to leave or evacuate... taking 15 minute ahead of time cane save thousands of dollars later!
- Remove ALL Window Units and Close the Windows
- Shut off All Power and Circuit Breakers to Central HVAC Systems
- If you have a Condensing unit Cover, Put it On! This may prevent debris from puncturing the coil.
- Never Start the System Immediately After a Storm without first inspecting it!
- If Flooding is a Concern, Consider removing the easy-to-remove components (Flex duct, etc... not the main equipment) and moving them to higher ground!
Like any other aspect of your home, making sure your home HVAC system is prepared is just as important!
After the storm, make sure you hose the salt and spray off the unit to make it last longer. Clean all debris from around and inside the unit, and never start up the system without visually inspecting it for obvious issues (Like disconnected electrical wires, broken coolant links, etc)