What To Do If Your Air Conditioning System Experiences Flooding or Hail Damage

While your air conditioning unit is created to withstand the elements, including heavy showers and storm damage, there are times when you need to call your AC repair technician to inspect possible damage. If your AC system sits in standing water, due to a torrential downpour or other unexpected issues, it can cause severe damage to the moving parts and electrical components. The water usually has to reach about a foot in depth to affect your air conditioner, but if there has been any flooding whatsoever, call Church Services for an air conditioner inspection immediately.

If intense rainfall or flooding caused your air conditioning unit to sit in standing water, there are a handful of things we advise doing to avoid further damage or dangerous conditions:

• Deactivate all the electrical controls to your air conditioner. If you are not comfortable doing this, you can call your AC maintenance company to help guide you through the process.
• Allow your air conditioning equipment to dry out. Remove any standing water if possible and cautiously clear any debris from around the area.
• Do not turn on your air conditioning system until a professional air conditioner inspection has been performed. Call Church Services and ensure your equipment will work safely and effectively with a full AC safety inspection.

CAUTION: Do not cover your outdoor heating and air conditioning systems with a tarp. This could actually cause more issues, including not allowing the unit to air out entirely and remove moisture, potentially causing rust or other damage.

In addition to rain, spring tends to bring hail storms, also. Annually thousands of commercial and residential air conditioners are in need of repair because of hail. While you can probably see obvious damage from the outside, you may not be able to see that the damage inside the air conditioner may be causing restricted air flow, decreasing the performance of the system. Sometimes you can fix the air conditioner 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 AC systems damaged by hail had to be completely replaced.

Strong winds tend to accompany storms and while your air conditioning unit probably won’t get wind damage, other things picked up by the wind, like tree branches, furniture, or unattached enclosures, can be thrown, damaging your air conditioner.

For a full AC inspection and safety check, call Church Services today and we’ll make sure your air conditioning unit is operating safely and efficiently. Help keep your family safe during storm season and make sure to follow these guidelines if your area is under a serious storm warning.