How Rain Affects Your HVAC System

Is rain affecting your HVAC system? For most homeowners, the answer is probably no. However, there are situations where rain can be a problem because of the way it's making your HVAC system perform. Excessive rainfall can also have a serious impact on the equipment itself. Read on to learn how.

Rain, High Humidity, and Your HVAC

Your HVAC system is key to controlling the relative humidity in your home. Moisture is drawn into the system in the return air, evaporating on the coils and then being channeled out of the home through the condensate drain. This method of dehumidifying the home usually works well unless the evaporator coils are dirty, the condensate drain becomes plugged, or the air filter is so dirty that airflow is slowed down and the AC stops running properly.

In times of excessive rainfall, relative humidity in your home may rise uncomfortably. You feel warmer and turn the air conditioner way up to compensate, thus wasting energy and money on utility bills.

Perhaps you have a roof leak or a plumbing leak, or perhaps the ground around your home is so saturated that it's affecting interior conditions. At these times, your AC may not be able to dehumidify effectively. It might be that you should also install a dehumidifier to help your AC keep up with the excess moisture.

Flooding and Your HVAC

If you live in an area prone to flooding and your HVAC system is in a low place, you've probably already figured out that you need to move it.

Otherwise, you may worry at times that heavy rainfall seems to cause deep ponding in your yard. If it seems like the water is rising at an alarming rate and might affect your HVAC, be advised that if it's just a few inches of water, it should be alright. Nevertheless, it's best to turn the power off, and if any flooding does occur, after your unit dries out, have an HVAC technician inspect it for damage.

For more on rain affecting your HVAC system adversely, contact Air Assurance of Broken Arrow.

Do Cold-Weather Climates Cause More Trouble for ACs Than Warmer Areas?

Every now and then during an unseasonably warm winter day, homeowners may be tempted to turn on the air conditioner. It may not be that warm, but perhaps you got busy in the house and started sweating, so it's tempting to turn on the AC. But should you?

Probably not. The fact is, the air conditioner compressor has summer-weight oil in it, which is a heavy-grade oil that works best under summer conditions. In colder weather, the oil may be too thick for the AC to work properly, and damage may result. Also, running the air conditioner in colder weather could cause freezing coils.

This is more or less the scenario in cold-weather climates, but what about our climate in Broken Arrow, which isn't all that cold — but may be occasionally frigid?

In general, HVAC technicians don't like to run central air conditioning unless daytime temperatures are well above 60 degrees for two to three days prior to turning the AC on. That can make it difficult to run a test in colder weather (for a home appraisal, for instance) or in colder climates.

Another issue is that some modern air conditioners now have low-ambient temperature sensors that actually keep the compressor from turning on when it's cool. These sensors are for the protection of the unit.

Heat Pumps

All of the information we've detailed up to this point pertains to central air conditioning. However, heat pumps operate a bit differently. Heat pumps, which can heat or cool a home, run with a lighter grade of oil and can be turned on during cooler weather.

Cooling Off in Winter

In general, it's better to just open a window to cool off the home a bit or else turn on a ceiling fan. If the fan blades have been reversed to push down warm air to the level of the home's occupants, you may need to change the switch so the blades are running counterclockwise. This will help lift up warm air and push down cooler air.

For more on operating the AC in cold-weather climates, contact Air Assurance in Broken Arrow.

How to Properly Winterize Your HVAC

With the arrival of colder weather in the Broken Arrow area, it's time to get your home's HVAC system ready for the coming winter. You can ensure your family's comfort, and protect the system's various components from damage by taking these steps to winterize your HVAC now:

Promote Good Airflow and Air Quality

There are some simple tasks that you can tackle to prevent airflow restrictions and boost air quality when the heating system is running. Replace the HVAC air filter first, then clean the vents throughout your house by removing and wiping down the covers and vacuuming inside each duct opening. Make sure your registers are fully open too, and that nothing is blocking the return air grilles.

Protect the Outdoor Component

If you have a central split-system air conditioner, you'll want to shut down the outdoor unit so it won't get harmed if the thermostat accidentally gets switched over to cooling mode during the winter. This is easy to do by via the breaker in your main electrical panel, and the switch that's located outside near the unit. To shield the unit from falling ice, place a board or piece of plywood on top, and weigh it down with a brick or concrete block.

Clean Up Around the Outdoor Unit

Yard debris like piles of dead leaves around the outdoor unit make it more attractive to rodents and other nesting pests. To discourage them from setting up housekeeping, trim back and clear away dead vegetation, then open the cabinet and vacuum/sweep out any accumulated debris from inside.

Schedule Professional Maintenance

Having a certified technician service your HVAC system can give you peace of mind that it's operating safely and efficiently. A pro will inspect and clean the furnace and verify that critical components like the blower, venting, heat exchanger and electrical are in good repair. If you have a heat pump, they'll check the refrigerant level and clean the coils, and make sure that the defrost and back up heat are functioning properly.For more advice about how to winterize your HVAC, contact us at Air Assurance today.

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). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.