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

While your air conditioning unit is built to withstand the elements, including rain and storm damage, sometimes you need to call your AC repair technician to inspect possible damage. If your air conditioner sits in standing water, due to storms or other unexpected issues, it can cause serious damage to the moving parts and electrical sections. The water usually has to reach about a foot in depth to affect your air conditioning system, but if there has been any flooding at all, call BW/Cook Service Experts for an AC inspection immediately. 

If severe storms or flooding caused your air conditioning unit to sit in standing water, there are a few things we recommend doing to avoid further damage or dangerous situations: 

• Turn off all the electrical switches to your air conditioning system. If you are not comfortable doing this, you can call your air conditioning service expert to help guide you through the process. 
• Allow your air conditioning equipment to dry out. Remove any standing water if possible and carefully clear any debris from the surrounding area. 
• Leave your AC system off until a professional AC inspection has been completed. Call BW/Cook Service Experts and ensure your equipment will operate safely and effectively with a full AC safety inspection. 

CAUTION: Do not cover your outdoor heating and air conditioning systems with a tarp. This may actually cause more problems, including not allowing the system to air out properly and remove moisture, potentially causing rust or other damage. 

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

High winds tend to accompany storms and while your air conditioning unit probably won’t get wind damage, other objects picked up by the wind, like tree branches, trash cans, or children’s outdoor toys, can be thrown, damaging your system. 

For a full AC inspection and safety check, call BW/Cook Service Experts today and we’ll make sure your air conditioning unit is running safely and efficiently. Help keep your home safe during storm season and make sure to follow these guidelines if your area is under a serious storm warning.