You’re no stranger to the unpredictable storm season if you live in Austin. Many homeowners diligently prepare for the next big storm by installing things like carports, metal roofing, and drainage systems. One thing that homeowners can overlook during preparation is your air conditioner.
Storms have the potential to affect the airflow of your unit or even cause disruptions with powerlines that can lead to large appliances like your AC shutting off.
Champion AC & Plumbing understands your HVAC system is a big investment that is worth protecting. Below are our tips to help you protect your investment and avoid needing an air conditioner repair.
1. Know Your Circuit Breaker
Knowing how to access and use your circuit breaker to turn your electricity on or off during a storm is essential. We recommend labeling your circuit breakers so it is easy to identify what is controlling the major appliances in your home, like the HVAC system.
2. Turn off Your Air Conditioner
One lightning strike could be enough to ruin your HVAC unit completely. Turning your unit off can help prevent the wiring from being damaged. Considering the repair cost, a few hours of withstanding uncomfortable temperatures would be worth it.
3. Cover Your Air Condensor
Heavy winds can lead to flying debris becoming trapped in your unit. These obstructions can cause your motor to burn out or even block airflow. Using a tarp to cover the unit can help prevent this debris from damaging your AC.
4. Inspect Your Unit
Before turning your unit back on after a storm, do a thorough inspection of your air conditioner. If you could not cover your system before the storm, checking for debris, loose parts or fractures in your unit could prevent further damage.
Resetting Your AC After a Storm
If you’re reading this after the storm or our efforts at getting you prepared didn’t stop the storm from shutting your air conditioning system off, here are some easy steps to reset your unit before you need to call in a professional:
1. Turn Off Your Air Conditioner from the Thermostat
Turn off your air conditioning unit from the thermostat, OR – take a look at your circuit breaker and flip the switch that controls your AC to off.
2. Allow Your Unit to Reset
Wait about 1 minute before flipping your breaker switch back to on. You will need to wait 30 minutes before turning your unit back on using the thermostat.
3. Set Your AC Back to Cool
Carefully set your HVAC system back to cool. Start at a temperature a little higher than you would typically have it set, and bump it down in small increments until you reach your desired temperature.
Trust Champion!
Despite our best efforts at protecting our HVAC systems, the damage is not always avoidable. If you have found that your air conditioner is damaged, you may need to call a professional. Champion AC & Plumbing is Austin’s most trusted HVAC company.
We provide various HVAC services to help you with all of your AC needs. Contact us today to see how we can serve you!
