Rain can be calming, great for helping plants grow, and cleaning the air. However, sometimes rainstorms can be extremely harsh and can lead to many hazards. Now, you may be asking “can rain damage my AC system?”, luckily no. Your outdoor AC unit is built to endure water out of corrosion resistant materials such as aluminum, plastic, and copper.
Rain itself cannot damage your outdoor unit, however the harsh conditions that may come as a result from rain, such as flooding, lighting, and storm debris, may cause issues. Luckily, there are preventative measures you can take to avoid damage to your AC unit.
Flooding
Although floods are not very common in Ontario, they do occur once in a while and it is important to be prepared when it does happen. If you experience flooding near your home, with a foot or more of standing water around your AC unit, you should take the following steps:
- Turn off your AC unit immediately
- Clear as much of the flooding water as possible
- Allow your AC unit to dry out
- Schedule an appointment with an HVAC technician from Aire One Heating and Cooling, HVAC services in Ontario, to check for damage before turning your AC unit back on.
Lightning
Lighting often causes power outages that can cause damage to your AC unit, which is why it is essential to prepare your AC unit before any lightening storms. Installing a surge protector will safeguard your AC unit from any surges in voltage by redirecting the extra voltage into the ground wire.
Storm Debris
Storm debris can be anything from tree limbs to power lines, no matter the size of it can cause serious damage to the internal components of your AC. Luckily, damage may be avoidable by covering your compressor with a PVC-coated polyester mesh screen to avert debris from dropping into the compressor. In addition, it is also important to make sure there are no trees over your AC unit or within a two-foot radius of your unit.
If you’ve experience damage to your AC unit, Aire One Heating and Cooling, with locations all over Ontario, can be of assistance. If you have any more questions on protecting your AC unit from harsh weather conditions, contact us today.