Hurricane’s are unpredictable as most Floridians know. A hurricane should not be taken for granted — plenty of damage can happen. If it’s not the wind it could be water surge — most of us in Palm Beach County have seen the surge from the coast all the way to I-95.
If you are a Palm Beach local – you will remember the El Niño of 2004. The 2004 hurricane season started with tropical storm Bonnie, and seemed never ending. Many Palm Beachers remember have 10 or more days without power. One of the busiest hurricane season’s I can remember in Palm Beach County.
- 2004 Hurricane Charley
- 2004 Hurricane Frances
- 2004 Hurricane Ivan
- 2004 Hurricane Jeanne
- 2005 Hurricane Katrina
Now that September is upon us – make sure you have a Hurricane Preparation Plan.
You should also consider having your air conditioning system checked to ensure your condensing unit has hurricane strap downs. If strap downs are present, you should have them checked for strength and integrity, because over time, corrosion and rust can weaken them considerably. Advanced Cooling and Heating can help.
Advanced Cooling and Heating Inc., in Palm Beach preparing for hurricane season. A/C maintenance in Florida includes outdoor condenser unit equipped with straps.
Save on AC Repair and prep your air conditioner before the storm arrives
South Floridians know the importance of preparing for a major storm, from storing water bottles and stocking up on batteries to battening down shutters and testing generators.
But anyone who wants the best chance of beating a bad storm and surviving as comfortably as possible should add prepping and properly maintaining your home air conditioning system to your storm checklist.
Many people think AC Maintaining just means changing the filter or cleaning out the drain. But it takes a lot more than that. The first thing you should do is make sure your outdoor unit is properly strapped down to the concrete, as required by county hurricane codes.
The air conditioner metal bolts and straps should be checked regularly for signs of rust or deterioration, which could make the outdoor a/c unit vulnerable to high winds.
Also, keeping shrubs, planters and other objects at least 18 inches away from the outdoor condenser to keep your air conditioner unit properly cooled and working efficiently is crucial. Prior to a storm, remove outdoor tables, chairs and other items that could become missiles in a hurricane and damage the air conditioner.
It’s also important to know what to do with your air conditioner when the storm arrives.
Before it comes, turn on your air conditioner and cool your home down as much as you can, and then when it gets here, turn off the thermostat and the breakers to prevent a power surge from burning out your system.
Keep the air conditioner shut down until the storm passes, and don’t rush to turn it on. Experts suggest going outside and making sure the condenser is not damaged or is not resting in a pool of water. Running an air conditioner in such conditions could also fry your system.
Like regular medical checkups, most experts recommend annual or bi-annual technician tune-ups for South Florida homes, sometime around April, before the summer season, and again in October, prior to winter.
Considering it can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars to repair or replace the A/C condenser alone, it could pay to be cautious and kind with the machine responsible for keeping your home cool, even in the worst South Florida conditions.
