We have been having some pretty crazy weather here in Northern California. You're probably familiar with general storm preparation strategies, like taking care of any needed roof repairs, cleaning out the gutters, stocking up on non-perishable food and drinking water and putting together an emergency kit. Severe weather can take a toll on your home's heating and cooling equipment too, so here are some HVAC-related storm preparation tips to consider implementing:
- Give your landscaping some attention.If you have tall trees with overhanging limbs close to your house, have them trimmed back a safe distance to reduce the likelihood that they break and fall during a storm and damage your outdoor HVAC unit.
- Evaluate your homeowner's insurance.Most standard policies cover harm done to a home's systems like the HVAC equipment by storm-related flying debris. To learn whether you're covered against damage due to lightning strikes, or if you need separate flood insurance coverage, check your policy or contact your insurance company.
- Have a whole-house surge protector installed.A spike in voltage can damage any electrical devices in your home in the event of a lightning strike or when the power is restored after an interruption. Having a point-of-entry surge protector installed can help protect your HVAC system components from harm.
- Invest in a standby generator.If a power outage occurs during a storm and there's an extended interruption, having a standby generator can ensure your family's comfort by allowing you run the air conditioner to keep your home cool.
- Take preventive action in advance of a storm.When a storm is forecast, put away any outdoor items that might become airborne and inflict damage on your outdoor unit, such as yard equipment, patio furniture, children's toys and bicycles.
- Shut off your HVAC during a storm.Shutting down your air conditioner or heat pump via the thermostat and the breaker until a storm passes can help ensure that it isn't damaged by power fluctuations.
Visit our Valley Heating, Cooling, Electrical website for in-depth information on most HVAC topics, or for more advice on how to protect your HVAC equipment against storm damage, just give us a call at (408) 868-5500.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the South Bay Peninsula and Santa Cruz areas of California about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).