Tips for Preparing Your Home and HVAC System for Hurricane Laura

As Hurricane Laura continues to approach the southeastern coast of Texas, we have gathered a list of tips for preparing your home and HVAC system for the imminent weather.

  1. Pre-cool your home. If you think your power may go out during a storm, go ahead and cool your home in advance so you can stay comfortable until power is restored. Set your thermostat to a cooler setting than usual, close curtains and blinds and keep doors and window shut to keep the cold air inside.
  1. Turn off electricity to your air conditioner. Electrical surges from lightning strikes during the storm can damage your A/C unit. There is also a chance that debris could get stuck in your outdoor unit and burn out the motor. Play it safe by shutting off power to your A/C system. We recommend you turn off power from your thermostat and circuit breaker.
  1. Cover your outdoor A/C unit. This step is only really necessary if you’re expecting a hurricane and high winds, like we are expecting from Hurricane Laura. After you’ve turned off your air conditioner, cover it with a tarp or plywood to protect it from flying debris. High winds can knock down branches and trees that could damage your unit if they land on it. Be sure to remove the covering as soon as it’s safely possible. Keeping your unit covered too long can trap moisture which leads to mold and mildew.
  1. Secure the unit. If you have an elevated air conditioner on a second story, be sure to secure your outdoor condenser unit with hurricane straps to keep it in place during strong wind gusts. If your area is prone to flooding, you may want to get an HVAC professional to elevate your unit for better protection.
  1. Check for damage before you turn your air back on. This is one of the most important steps. Don’t forget to assess the storm damage before you turn your system back on. Flooding or flying debris could have damaged your unit and turning it on can make the problem worse. Also, storm winds many cause disconnections within your AC unit, which could lead to toxic refrigerant leaks. Do turn your A/C on as soon as it seems safe. This will keep mold and mildew from settling in.

Contact One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating® of Houston 

Contact our team of HVAC professionals if you have problems or need repairs: Your safest approach is to call an HVAC expert to inspect your unit for damage after the storm. That will give you professional peace of mind that it’s operating safely and properly.

Should Hurricane Laura’s path continue towards our Houston communities, we will stop all calls and/or appointments at the threat of inclement weather. This is so we can ensure the safety of our team members. Please check our local website or social media for up-to-date information.