While your air conditioning unit is built to withstand all sorts of conditions, including precipitation and hail damage, sometimes you need to call your AC repair technician to inspect likely damage. If your AC system sits in standing water, due to a torrential downpour or other unexpected issues, it can cause significant damage to the moving parts and electrical pieces. The water usually has to reach about a foot in depth to affect your AC system, but if there has been any flooding at all, call Aramendia Plumbing, Heating and Air for an AC inspection immediately.
If severe storms or flooding caused your air conditioning unit to sit in standing water, there are a few things we suggest doing to avoid further damage or a dangerous environment:
- Deactivate all the electrical controls to your AC system. If you are not comfortable with this, you can call your air conditioning service expert to help guide you through the process.
- Allow your AC system to dry out. Remove any standing water if possible and cautiously clear any debris from the surrounding area.
- Don’t turn your air conditioner back on until a professional air conditioner inspection has been completed. Call Aramendia Plumbing, Heating and Air and ensure your equipment will work safely and effectively with a full air conditioning system safety inspection.
NOTE: Do not cover your outdoor heating and cooling systems with a tarp. This can actually cause more problems, including not allowing the system to air out completely and remove moisture, a could cause rust or other damage.
In addition to downpours, 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 realize that the damage inside the air conditioning unit may be causing restricted air flow, decreasing the performance of the system. Sometimes you can fix the AC unit more easily, by combing the fins or replacing the coil, but an insurance company’s claim breakdown showed that around one out of ten of air conditioning units damaged by hail had to be entirely replaced.
Intense winds tend to accompany storms and while your AC system probably won’t get wind damage, other things picked up by the wind, like tree branches, grills, or children’s outdoor toys, can be thrown, damaging your air conditioner.
For a full air conditioner inspection and safety check, call Aramendia Plumbing, Heating and Air today and we’ll make sure your air conditioner is operating safely and efficiently. Help keep your family safe during storm season and make sure to follow these guidelines if your city is under a serious storm warning.