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

While your AC system is made to withstand the elements, including rain and hail damage, occasionally you need to call your air conditioning repair technician to inspect likely damage. If your air conditioning unit sits in standing water, due to a torrential downpour or other unexpected issues, it can cause terrible damage to the moving parts and electrical pieces. The water usually has to reach about 12-15 inches in depth to affect your AC system, but if there has been any flooding at all, call Chief/Bauer Service Experts for an AC inspection as soon as possible.

If heavy showers or flooding caused your air conditioning unit to sit in standing water, there are a couple of things we recommend doing to avoid further damage or dangerous conditions:

• Turn off all the electrical switches for your air conditioning system. If you are not comfortable turning off your switches, you can call your air conditioning service technician to help guide you through the process.
• Allow your air conditioner to dry out. Get rid of any standing water if possible and safely clear any debris from the surrounding area.
• Leave your AC system off until a professional AC inspection has been completed. Call Chief/Bauer Service Experts and ensure your equipment will run safely and effectively with a full air conditioning system safety inspection.

NOTE: Do not cover your outdoor heating and cooling systems with a tarp. This could actually cause more damage, including not allowing the air conditioner to air out completely and remove moisture, possibly causing rust or other damage.

In addition to downpours, spring tends to bring hail storms, too. Annually thousands of commercial and residential AC units are harmed by hail. While you can typically see obvious damage from the outside, you may not realize that the damage inside the AC system may be causing restricted air flow, obstructing the performance of the system. Sometimes you can fix the AC unit more easily, by combing the fins or replacing the coil, but an insurance company’s claim breakdown showed that around 10% of air conditioning units damaged by hail had to be entirely replaced.

Strong winds tend to accompany storms and while your AC system probably won’t get wind damage, other items picked up by the wind, like bushes, grills, or children’s outdoor toys, can be thrown, damaging your air conditioning unit.

For a full air conditioning inspection and safety check, call Chief/Bauer Service Experts today and we’ll make sure your AC system is operating safely and efficiently. Help keep your loved ones safe during storm season and make sure to follow these guidelines if your city is under a serious storm warning.