If you have lived in Florida for any period of time, you are likely familiar with the seasonal weather patterns, particular in the summertime. To take it up a notch, as Florida normally does, Florida has a very active hurricane season that runs from about June 1st through November 1st.
Hurricane preparedness is a necessity for everyone who lives in Florida. Creating hurricane kits of supplies you could take with you if you were forced to evacuate or would be useful if you were hunkering down at home is extremely essential. It is advised that you have enough non-perishable food and water to last you and every person in your home at least three days. Additionally, items like a first aid kit, flash lights, medications, special needs items, pet food, etc. are all recommended to include in your kit.
The next item of business when preparing for a storm or a hurricane in Florida is securing your home. In the event a storm produces damaging winds, storm surge and/or flooding there are steps you can take to help stop or lessen storm damage to your home. Some of these tips to protect your home and your Florida HVAC from storms include:
Cover all of your windows either with hurricane shutters or wood. Consider piling up sandbags at least 2 feet high as an effective barricade against floodwaters next to your doorways and sliding glass doors. Make sure all trees and shrubs are trimmed and clear rain gutters. Focus especially on trees that are near windows as well as branches that are already breaking or dead. Bring in all outdoor furniture, garbage cans, and anything else that is not secured down. Use surge protectors to help protect your electrical devices from voltage spikes caused by surges. Depending on the type of storm, you may want to turn off your air conditioner. A severe lightning storm could pose a real threat to your HVAC unit. Another suggestion to protect your HVAC would be to cover your outdoor unit with some kind of tarp. By doing this you can help keep at least some of the debris out of your unit.
When it comes to you and your home weathering a storm or a hurricane, there is no such thing as being too prepared. Any storm, hurricane or not, has the potential to be dangerous and destructive and it is important to do everything you can to prevent damage to your air conditioning system and other areas of your home.
Your HVAC system is one of your biggest investments in your home. For assistance with repairs, maintenance or new unit installation, Mason Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc. is here for you rain or shine all throughout the year. We are family-owned and proudly serve Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, and Bradenton areas. Please call 727-433-9853 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation and see how we can help you handle the Florida weather.