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

While your air conditioner is made to withstand the weather, including rain and hail damage, occasionally you need to call your air conditioning repair technician to inspect likely damage. If your AC system sits in standing water, due to flooding or other unexpected issues, it can cause terrible damage to the moving parts and electrical components. The water usually has to reach about a foot in depth to affect your air conditioner, but if there has been any flooding whatsoever, call Stevenson Service Experts for an AC inspection right away.

If severe storms or flooding caused your AC system to sit in standing water, there are a couple of things we advise doing to avoid further damage or dangerous conditions:

  • Deactivate all the electrical switches for your air conditioner. If you are not comfortable doing this, you can call your AC maintenance expert to help guide you through the process.
  • Allow your air conditioner to dry out. Clear out any standing water if possible and safely clear any debris from the immediate area.
  • Leave your AC system off until a professional AC inspection has been completed. Call Stevenson Service Experts and ensure your equipment will operate safely and effectively with a full AC safety inspection.
Flooding preparedness infographic Columbus

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

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

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

For a full air conditioning inspection and safety check, call Stevenson Service Experts today and we’ll make sure your AC system is operating safely and efficiently. Help keep your loved ones safe during storm season and make sure to follow these guidelines if your city is under a serious storm warning.


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