How To Prepare Your HVAC For Hurricane Season

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South Florida’s hurricane season is between June and November each year. As South Florida residents know, hurricane season can bring widespread devastation for both homes and businesses. Heavy storms bring high-velocity winds and torrential rain, both of which can inflict damage to several parts of your home, one of which is your HVAC system.

Here are 7 essential tips to help prevent your HVAC system from sustaining damage during hurricane season.

1) Invest In An HVAC Inspection

It’s always best to go into hurricane season prepared. By getting an HVAC service, you’ll be able to pinpoint any minor issues that may require attention. Fixing these before they become larger problems could save you money and inconvenience if your HVAC happens to break down during a hurricane. A professional HVAC inspection will focus on all the main components, ducts, and valves, ensuring that your HVAC system is working properly as we enter hurricane season.

2) Strap Your HVAC Down

Covering and strapping down your HVAC will help to secure and protect it from the full brunt of a hurricane. It’s best to find something sturdy to cover your HVAC with. This could be a plywood or steel casing or a high-grade tarp. Opting for a sturdy material will protect your HVAC from falling debris which can be thrown about in a storm. It’s also important to make sure your HVAC unit is strapped or locked down, as it could be at risk of dislodging. Tie-out stakes and ratchet straps are commonly used to secure HVAC systems. It’s best not to try this yourself, but instead, discuss this with your HVAC professional.

HVAC Maintenance Tip: Remember to clean up around your HVAC unit before a storm. Over time, garden debris including leaves, branches, and soil can accumulate around your HVAC. This debris may cause disruption and damage to your unit if not cleared beforehand. ​​​​​​

3) Install A Surge Protector

Hurricanes often bring lightning storms, which can be detrimental to electronic devices in your home. One lightning strike can wipe out a circuit board, or a couple of appliances. Throughout a few lightning storms, the risk of a lightning strike on your HVAC unit increases significantly. Hurricanes also lead to uneven power being supplied to your appliances, which leads to the deterioration of the mechanics in your unit. A surge protector will guard your HVAC unit from a lightning strike. How does it work? A surge protector takes the hit so that your electronic systems don’t have to. Surge protection benefits are numerous and will give you peace of mind in even the most damaging weather.

4) Consider Turning Your HVAC Off

This one might surprise you, but taking this precautionary step may help prevent your unit from getting damaged. If your home ends up being a few feet underwater, your HVAC electrical panels will undergo damage. This damage is amplified if your HVAC system is running while the water seeps in. Remembering to shut it down before a hurricane arrives can help save you from unnecessary HVAC service costs.

5) Take Advantage Of Your HVAC Before The Storm

If you know a storm is coming, then be sure to cool down your home as much as possible beforehand. This will help to regulate your premises to the desired temperature for as long as possible in the event of an power outage. This will help to keep your family comfortable for as long as possible until the power is restored or you can get the professionals out to help.

6) Be Prepared

On a practical note, it’s essential to prepare your home with supplies for your family. Be sure to have enough water, food, first aid kits, towels, etc. A backup generator is also a good idea to ensure a continual supply of power. Art Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electric is an authorized dealer of the full Generac® range.

7) Perform A Post-Hurricane Inspection

The aftermath of a hurricane is often overwhelming. You should never assume that your HVAC was untouched by a storm, which is why it’s always good to get your system checked out. Start by removing any debris from your unit, before conducting a visual inspection of your unit. If you’re unsure what to look for, or you notice some damage, it’s best to call in an HVAC specialist for an AC emergency repair.