What, If The Air Conditioner Floods?

Flood situations in North America are not unusual. With tornados and hurricanes hitting the coasts, inundations in towns and cities near the shore is quite usual. Sometime the flood is not that severe and spares the lives of humans and their houses. But lawns and gardens get waterlogged. Under such situations, outdoor units of the HVACs or the air conditioner are badly affected by torrential rain and flood. They are often found immersed under the water.

Some precautions for a flooded outdoor unit

Never power on the air conditioner unit. Try to fully grasp the situation. If you feel that there could be safety issues call a servicing profession immediately. In case the unit has been damaged, it can either be repaired or replaced therefore needs to be replaced.

Try to determine how long the unit was under water. The greater the time, the higher would be the level of likely damage. In case you have not shut the power supply to the machine already, stop it now! Additional damage can be done to your air conditioner, if the power continues to flow. If the cabinet is filled with dust and debris from the floodwaters, open it to clean them. Debris can hurt its ability to function.Check the seal on the condenser fan motor to determine if it’s broken or the motor is water damaged.Check the coils in the unit to see if they need to be cleaned.

If the A/s seems to have survived the flood without any damage, here is what you should do before restoring power to it-

• Plug it out from the power panel. There should be no power going to it.
• Allow the equipment to dry thoroughly
• Call a technician to check the wiring of the system.
• Change air and furnace filters. The filters will be piled with contaminants from the flood.

If your unit is damaged and needs costly repair or replacement check your homeowner’s policy for coverage of flood damage.