Given our location in tornado alley, it's important to take spring storm preparation seriously, especially for your HVAC system. With some preparation, you might be able avoid disabling damage to your system to avoid loss of use and repair or replacement costs.
Power Surges
Ask your HVAC technician to install a surge protector for your HVAC system. These systems contain many electronic components that can be damaged by electrical spikes in the line voltage. Surge protectors are especially helpful if no one is home to turn the circuit breaker for the HVAC system off during a severe storm. Another option is to use a Wi-Fi thermostat that you can control remotely to turn the system off when severe storms approach.
Secure the Condenser
Your HVAC expert can tie the outdoor condenser to its pad as part of spring storm preparation to prevent it from moving off its pad during a tornado or a severe wind storm. Strong winds may damage the condenser to the point where it needs to be replaced. Unless your system is fairly new, it may need to be replaced with an entirely new system if a condenser replacement isn't available. The condenser and indoor air handler must match each other in terms of capacity, refrigerant used and energy efficiency rating.
Learn About Your System
Before you restore power to your system, learn what kind it is and how it should look. Note the condition of the condenser beforehand and inspect it after the storm passes to verify it's not damaged. If you use a heat pump, ask your contractor about restarting it in the heating function after a prolonged power outage. It may need to be set on its emergency or supplemental heat setting to avoid compressor damage.
The time you take to secure your HVAC system is an important step in spring storm preparation to maintain your comfort and prevent an expensive repair or replacement. To learn more, contact Air Assurance, providing top-notch HVAC services for Broken Arrow homeowners.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Ivelin Radkov/Shutterstock”