Preparing Your HVAC System for Florida Storm Season

Before the storm

• Trim branches over and around the outdoor unit. Falling limbs are the leading cause of physical damage here.
• Clear pine straw, leaves, and loose yard items that can be driven into the coil by wind.
• Do not cover or wrap the unit while it is in use; covering a running unit causes its own problems.
• Photograph the equipment, including the data plate, for insurance purposes.
• Consider a surge protection device at the equipment or panel. Grid switching during storms is hard on control boards.
• If flooding is a concern at your property, discuss elevating the outdoor unit ahead of time.

When the power goes out

Turn the thermostat OFF, and switch off the breakers for the air handler and the outdoor unit. This is the step most people skip and the one that matters most.

When utility power is restored, it often comes back unstable — brownouts, surges, and rapid cycling. A compressor that tries to restart into that is at real risk. Leaving the system off removes it from the equation.

After power is restored

• Wait roughly 30 minutes after power returns to let the grid stabilize.
• Turn breakers back on, then set the thermostat to COOL.
• Expect the house to take hours to recover both temperature and humidity — that is normal, and setting the thermostat unusually low will not speed it up.
• Inspect the outdoor unit for debris, bent fins, standing water, or shifted position before running it.
• If the unit was submerged or struck by debris, leave it off and request an inspection.

Signs of storm-related damage

• The system will not start after power returns.
• New noises from the outdoor unit.
• A breaker that trips when the system is switched on.
• A thermostat that is blank or behaving erratically.
• Visible crushing, bent fins, or a unit that has shifted off its pad.