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

While your air conditioning unit is built 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 air conditioner sits in standing water, due to storms or other unexpected issues, it can cause serious damage to the moving parts and electrical pieces. The water usually has to reach about 15 inches in depth to affect your air conditioner, but if there has been any flooding whatsoever, call A-Plus for an AC inspection immediately. 

If heavy showers or flooding caused your air conditioner to sit in standing water, there are a couple of things we advise doing to avoid additional damage or dangerous conditions: 

• Turn off all the electrical switches to your air conditioning system. If you are not comfortable doing this, you can call your AC maintenance technician to help guide you through the process. 
• Allow your air conditioning equipment to dry out. Remove any standing water if possible and carefully clear any debris from the surrounding area. 
• Do not turn on your air conditioning system until a professional AC inspection has been completed. Call A-Plus and ensure your equipment will operate safely and effectively with a full air conditioner safety inspection. 

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

In addition to April showers, spring tends to bring hail storms, too. Each year thousands of commercial and residential air conditioning systems are damaged by hail. While you can typically see obvious damage from the outside, you may not notice 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 conditioning system more easily, by combing the fins or replacing the coil, but an insurance company’s claim breakdown showed that around a tenth of air conditioners damaged by hail had to be fully replaced. 

High winds tend to accompany storms and while your air conditioning unit probably won’t get wind damage, other objects picked up by the wind, like tree branches, trash cans, or unattached enclosures, can be thrown, damaging your system. 

For a full AC inspection and safety check, call A-Plus today and we’ll make sure your air conditioning unit is running 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.