Flood-Damaged Heating and Air Conditioning System Dangers

Many questions are being raised regarding the action required to bring cooling and heating systems to an operating status after the equipment has been subjected to flood waters. Your home’s heating and air conditioning will suffer significant water damage if flooded and SHOULD NOT be operated. The electrical and gas controls in every heating and air conditioning system are manufactured to exact tolerances. Electrical or gas supply should not be provided to any unit that is wet or has been exposed to water. Serious damage and possible life safety hazards for the occupants can result.

The submersion of controls which automatically turn the gas supply on or off can lead to corrosion build up and possible blockage of safety features within the controls. Even though the equipment appears to be working normally after cleanup, the gradual effects of corrosion or build up of foreign matter inside the control devices can eventually render the safety devices inoperative. Failure of these safety devices can result in a fire or explosion significant enough to cause death to the occupants. Re-energizing wet or flooded electrical components can result is serious electrocution or death

Even if your house was not flooded, your outdoor equipment could still be significantly damaged by the exceptional rainfall or pooling water in your yard. Every heating and air conditioning unit needs to be inspected by a qualified repair professional who is properly trained in inspecting flood damaged equipment. According to Jimmy Gibson, General Manager of Green Heating and Cooling, “This is a very serious situation. We are urging every home and business owner to have their heating and air conditioning systems thoroughly inspected”.

Just looking at the heating and cooling equipment will not tell you if inside damage to electrical or gas controls occurred. The units must be taken apart, cleaned and inspected prior to start-up. If duct work has been exposed to water, it will most likely have to be replaced. All the electrical motors, switches, and gas control devices must be replaced. Homeowners should seriously consider the price of repairing the equipment with entire system replacement including ductwork.

Your heating and air conditioning system recycles the air in your home several times an hour. If not cleaned properly or replaced, a very serious mold problem will result in your home or business. This mold can have catastrophic effects on your health and ultimately lead to the condemning of the structure. The worst part is that almost no home or business insurance will cover mold damage. Home or business owners could experience even worse secondary damage after flood clean-up and structure repair if their heating and air conditioning is neglected during the recovery phase of this disaster.

“It’s very important that you make sure the heating and air conditioning company that you utilize to inspect, repair or replace your system is knowledgeable in water damage repair. We cannot stress this enough. Choosing a contractor based on price for flood recovery can have catastrophic consequences,” stated Jimmy.

Visit Flanders Heating & Air Conditioning at flandershvac.com or call tktk for more information.