The U.S. has been experiencing a lot of whacky weather lately. Some parts of the country can’t get enough rain, and other parts of the country have been drenched with sudden precipitation. For those who live in areas where rain is abundant, flooding becomes a real concern. And because it’s summer on top of that, the air conditioner is the one part of the HVAC system that you need to have up and running.
But what if your house does flood, and what if it floods your air conditioner as well? Of course this is a worst-case scenario. Still, it’s best to know how to handle such a situation.
Safety always comes first
Anytime you have a flood, safety will become your number one priority. From contaminated water to potential catastrophic damage to your house, a flood can be very dangerous.
After seeing the flood has reached your air conditioner, you should immediately turn off the power to the unit. Do this from your home’s breaker box. It’s also a good idea to cut off the power to every part of your house that’s flooded. Electricity can be especially dangerous when you have standing water in and around the outside of your house. The water can also short out your air conditioner’s delicate electrical systems. The faster you do this, the better.
If there is standing water inside of your home, especially in the crawl space or basement and has flooded the area where your furnace and other HVAC equipment is located, then you have a different problem. The outside AC condenser unit is built to withstand some moisture, like rain and snow. But the inside components are not. Again, turn the circuit breaker off to that part of the house. An HVAC technician will need to inspect your equipment to see what damage has been done.
Once the electricity is off and the flooding has stopped, it’s time to clean up. Try to get as much of the debris out of the way as possible, if it’s safe to do so. Get the entire area around the AC unit as dry as you can. Depending on how much standing water you’re dealing with, this might take some time. And even when you think your AC is dry, don’t turn it on! You don’t know what damage has been done on the inside and you always run the risk of electrocution or fire.
Don’t try to fix it yourself
Which brings us to the next step: have a professional HVAC technician inspect your air conditioner. Only a licensed technician can properly inspect your AC unit to see if it can be repaired, or in the worst case, needs to be replaced.
The technician will look to see if the water has short-circuited any of the electrical components. They’ll also clean out the inside of the unit, ensuring there’s no hidden debris that might cause a fire later on. Depending on the damage, the technician might be able to make repairs on the spot by replacing parts and cleaning the coils and electrical contacts. If your AC condenser is damaged beyond repair, the technician will guide you through the process of replacing it.
If your home has experienced any flooding, whether it’s inside or out, and your HVAC equipment has been affected, you need to call a professional. We are on hand 24-hours a day to help you get your home’s HVAC system back into good working order, no matter how bad the flooding.
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