Los Angeles is prone to floods. Storms can easily cause local urban flooding. If you live in a coastal area, flooding can occur when high tides correspond with storm-driven waves. During a heavy downpour, the outdoor part of your air conditioning in Los Angeles might get damaged if the floodwater reaches a foot deep.
If that happens to your AC unit, make sure to have it inspected by our team before you start using it again. Don’t attempt to run it until a professional has reviewed it. Using your AC without drying it first or reviewed by a professional is like turning the AC on while still under the water. After the flood, call your trusted technician immediately. You can only use the AC again after getting the all-clear from your technician.
Air Conditioning in Los Angeles and Your Insurance Policy
In addition to contacting your trusted HVAC tech, you should also review your homeowner’s insurance policy. In this way, you’ll know if the flood damage is covered by your insurance. If it does, then make sure that you take photos of the damage. This will speed up the claiming process. On the other hand, if your homeowner’s policy doesn’t include flood damage, then it might still be covered if the AC experienced damage from wind or hail.
How to Avoid Flood Damage
Before a serious storm happens, you should remove electrical parts of your AC to prevent damage. You should also turn it off. Stacking sandbags around your outside AC unit can stop water from reaching your system. However, it won’t 100% guarantee it. Placing sections of plywood on top of the AC unit can protect it from hail damage. If the area where you live is prone to flooding, you could just build a retaining wall around the unit. This is a more permanent solution. But you can also secure a homeowners insurance policy that includes flood damage. In that way, you don’t have to spend a fortune just to have your AC unit fixed every time there’s flooding in your area.
Do You Need to Replace Your Air Conditioning Unit?
It depends on the diagnosis of your technician. In some cases, cleaning it will do the trick. However, you can’t do it yourself. CDC recommends hiring a trained AC professional to clean your unit. The reason for this is that there are serious health hazards involved. Your technician will clean and disinfect your unit. He has the right equipment to remove any debris in the unit and disinfect it to eliminate any microorganisms that remain. Flooding isn’t something that you want to experience. But it can happen at any time since you can’t control nature.
If the flood water contaminates your air conditioning unit, you should call a trusted, licensed air conditioning professional to restore your unit right away. Do not clean and disinfect your unit on your own. Even if you have the necessary tools, your AC is a complex system.Call our air conditioning Los Angeles specialists today for a consultation at (323) 673-3107.
