What To Do If Your HVAC System Is Impacted By Flooding
If you are dealing with an hvac richmond va that has been affected by severe flooding due to heavy rains or a burst pipe, you may be faced with a repair or replacement of your air conditioner or furnace. But it can be tough to know just what exactly you’re dealing with as to the condition of your unit once all of that water has reached the system.
Even more of a concern is operating the affected unit safely and properly after the water is gone so you aren’t facing any greater problems later on down the line. So if your home has been flooded in any capacity, here are some tips as to what you should with the equipment to determine the extent of the damage, if any, and the ways to go about cleaning up and fixing any problems that might arise:
The Central Air Unit
The biggest concern here is going to be corrosion as standing water that occurs due to flooding can seriously damage certain components of the unit. So take a close look at your the parts of your AC unit to see if anything has become corroded. But you should also be very careful about the electrical portions of the device as water can cause the unit to short out.
If this occurs your compressor will typically need to be replaced as a short circuit will render the air conditioner inoperable.
The Furnace
Simply put, if water gets into either an electric or gas furnace you will most undoubtedly discover that a majority of the components have become corroded. That corrosion won’t just render the furnace inoperable but you may also be dealing with a serious health and safety issue.
Should you believe that your furnace has been flooded and could now be damaged as a result, you must not attempt to diagnose the problem yourself, but instead call your HVAC repair technician to take a good look at all of the internal workings of the furnace. The technician will be able to determine which components, if any, are able to be saved.
However, it’s very possible that if there is too much flooding in the unit, it will most likely need to be replaced. This is imperative to ensuring that the unit is ready to work when you need it.
The Heat Pump Condenser
There is some good news if you discover that your heat pump condensing unit has taken on water. Most units such as these are manufactured to withstand flood waters up to about 16 inches without becoming damaged or even demonstrating any loss of performance.
However, this type of equipment can still become damaged if those flood waters come in contact with any of the heat pump condenser’s electrical components. If those electrical connections become submerged you can bet they will likely get damaged and, depending upon the extent of that damage, you could be looking at a replacement of the unit. Not so much for performance, although that will be affected, but for the safety of you and your family.
