Protect your AC for a hurricane.

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Understanding how to protect your HVAC system before the storm hits and knowing what to do afterwards can minimize system damage and help safeguard your famly.

As another hurrican season makes its way through our community, you can always rely on MY AC GUY licenced HVAC specialist to help you prepare your air conditioning units for our unpredictable weather. The following are suggestions for various home comfort systems and how to protect them. If you are uncertain give us a call and our MY AC GUY Specialist  team will help you prepare.

If you have a window air conditioner, it's best to unplug it and remove it as a hurrican approaches. Strong winds can blow a window AC out of place, damaging the unit, your window, and anything around your home. If removing your window air conditioner isn't possible, purchase a cover with straps to protect it during extreme weather. 

If you have a portable AC inside your home, we recommend running it until the storm arrives. This will cool your home as much as possible before a potential power outage. When the storm hits, unplug the AC to avoid damage to power surges.

Defending your central AC against a hurrican is a little more complex. Follow these steps to keep your AC safe and your home comfortable. 

• Secure your outdoor unit. The power of a hurrican storm is strong enough to lift the condensing unit of your air conditioner. Check the anchor bolts and tighten bolts that anchor your compressor to the concrete slab.
• Elevate the slab. In hurrican prone areas, you should mount your AC on a concrete slab. If your your slab is not high enough to protect your outdoor system from potential flood waters, we recommend hiring a licenced HVAC contractor to make it taller.
• Cool your home. Drop the tempature on your thermosat to cool your home before the storm arrives. Close all window and doors. This will help keep you comfortable if the power goes out. 
• Consider a surge protector. An HVAC pro can install a surge protector designed to protect your compressor if you live in an area prone to power outages or lightning strikes.
• Trim surrounding trees and plants. High damaging tropical storm winds can rip off parts of branches of trees, turning them into flying debris that crashes into your outdoor unit causintg damage. 
• Put a waterproof cover on your outdoor unit.  We recommend taking it a step further and covering your outdoor AC unit with a tarp designed to protect it from flying objects, hail and high moisture brought by rain. Make sure it's the right size to cover the whole unit.  This will prevent electrical damage and other issues as your weather another hurrican storm..
• Shut off the power. Turn your AC off at the breaker box as the storm approaches. This will protect it from power surges. 
• Protect your investment.  As a last step, take a minute to document and photograph your air condioner in its current state before and after the storm. If your sustain any damage to the unit, your homeowner's insurance company will be easier to work with due to the extra piece of documentation.

Once the hurrican passes you can safely assess how your home has weathered the storm. 

• Go outside and check your condensor for visible damage. 
• Remove the cover.
• Clean out any debris that's become stuck in or around the unit. 
• Document any damage. 
• If everything looks OK, turn the power back on and start your AC. 

If you are uncertain about the safety of your HVAC system , always hire a licenced HVAC specialist to access your system before you turn it back on. 

• Loud buzzing noises coming from the unit inside the house or outside your property.
• There are high moisture levels or flooding around the AC unit.
• The AC unit was hit by windblown objects and has visible damage. 
• Electrical lines around the AC are damaged.
• You see the formation of microbial growth around vents and other parts of your air condioner