With summer in full swing, we start to anticipate the coming months' weather patterns. You might have your AC units ready for the warmer months, but have you considered the effect that a storm can have on your HVAC system? Follow these tips to preserve your HVAC system throughout stormy weather.
Before a Storm
Prior to a storm, it is a good idea to prepare your home just in case there are power outages. Just as you would line up candles and flashlights in anticipation of a big storm, you should run your A/C unit as well. This is called pre-cooling.
Pre-cooling is the process of running your A/C a few degrees lower than you normally would. The idea is that your house will stay at a comfortable temperature in the event that you do lose power.
During a Storm
Once the storm starts to roll in, it is important to turn your air conditioning off once you've finished pre-cooling. Powerful storms can affect power supplies resulting in electrical failures. If your air conditioning is on when this happens, you risk severe damage to the HVAC unit. In the same way you unplug your valuable electronics, you also need to turn off your air conditioning.
After a Storm
As soon as you're able to turn your AC unit back on after a storm, you should. Make sure there is no obvious damage to the unit before turning the switch on. We recommend this because letting an HVAC unit sit unused for a long period can lead to mold growing in the ducts. This can affect the health of your air supply. It can also make your unit work harder to perform leading to wasted energy.
Contact Us
With licensed, trained, and insured technicians in Westchester County, New York, homeowners can count on A. Borrelli to handle their heating, cooling, and plumbing needs expediently. At A. Borrelli, we do HVAC and plumbing right, so call us at (914) 301-7495 today!