While your air conditioner is created to withstand the elements, including precipitation and hail damage, there are times when you need to call your air conditioning 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 AC system, but if there has been any flooding at all, call Niagara Home Services by Enercare for an air conditioner inspection as soon as possible.
If severe storms or flooding caused your air conditioning unit to sit in standing water, there are a couple of things we recommend doing to avoid further damage or a dangerous environment:
- Turn off all the electrical controls for your air conditioning system. If you are not comfortable with this, you can call your AC maintenance expert to help help you complete the process.
- Allow your air conditioning equipment to dry out. Clear out any standing water if possible and cautiously clear any debris from around the area.
- Leave your AC system off until a professional air conditioner inspection has been done. Call Niagara Home Services by Enercare and ensure your equipment will run safely and effectively with a full air conditioning system safety inspection.
REMEMBER: Do not cover your outdoor heating and cooling systems with a tarp. This may actually cause more damage, including not allowing the unit to air out entirely and remove moisture, potentially causing rust or other damage.
In addition to April showers, spring also brings hail storms, too. Every year thousands of commercial and residential air conditioners are in need of repair because of hail. While you can typically 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, 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 a tenth of AC systems damaged by hail had to be completely replaced.
Strong winds tend to accompany storms and while your air conditioner probably won’t get wind damage, other objects picked up by the wind, like bushes, grills, or unattached enclosures, can be thrown, damaging your air conditioning unit.
For a full air conditioner inspection and safety check, call Niagara Home Services by Enercare today and we’ll make sure your air conditioner is operating safely and efficiently. Help keep your home safe during storm season and make sure to follow these guidelines if your area is under a serious storm warning.