HVAC equipment before and after a hurricane or flood.
A practical guide for facility managers and homeowners in the Golden Triangle: what to do before the storm, what not to do after the water, and how equipment is assessed, restarted, repaired or replaced.
If you smell gas, see damaged power lines, or the building has standing water around live electrical equipment, leave and call the gas company, the electric utility or 911. An HVAC contractor is not the first call in an emergency. Call us once it's safe.
Most storm damage to HVAC equipment isn't dramatic. Wind pushes debris into a condenser and bends its fins; a rooftop unit loses a panel; water rises a foot and a half around an outdoor unit and then goes away. The equipment looks nearly normal. The decisions that follow are what matter.
Phase 1
Before the storm.
Photograph
Every outdoor unit, rooftop unit and indoor unit you can reach, with its data plate. A dated photo record of the condition before the storm makes any later assessment faster and clearer.
Locate shut-offs
Know where each unit's breaker, outdoor disconnect and — for gas equipment — gas shut-off are, and who on site is allowed to use them.
Clear drains
Condensate drains and roof drains running freely before heavy rain arrives.
Secure rooftops
Access panels fastened, curbs sound, nothing loose on the roof that can become debris.
Clear around units
Move outdoor furniture, bins and anything loose away from condensers.
Consider height
If outdoor units have flooded before, raising them onto a platform above the likely water level is worth discussing — in the off-season, not the week of a storm.
An outdoor unit raised on a platform — an off-season decision that pays off in a flood.
Phase 2
After the water: what not to do.
The most expensive damage after a flood is often caused by switching equipment back on too soon.
Don't switch on equipment that was under water. Leave it off at the breaker. Water in motors, capacitors, control boards and wiring can turn a repairable unit into a failed one the moment power is applied.
Don't relight gas appliances whose controls got wet. Manufacturers and gas utilities advise that gas valves and controls that have been submerged are replaced, not dried out. We follow that without exception.
Don't run the system to "dry the house out". Flooded ductwork and air handlers can blow contaminated air through the building.
Do photograph the waterline on each unit and the building before anything is cleaned.
Wind damage: debris against the coil and bent fins where it struck.
Phase 3
Restart, repair or replace.
An assessment sorts each piece of equipment into one of three outcomes, and writes down why.
Restart
Equipment that stayed dry and undamaged: debris cleared, electrical checked, started and watched through a cycle.
Repair
Wind damage, bent fins, a damaged fan or panel, some flood-exposed components that can be replaced individually.
Replace
Equipment where flood water reached the parts that can't be reliably cleaned or replaced — or where repairs would cost more than they're worth.
A flood-exposed gas control being replaced — not dried out.
Ductwork after a flood
Ducts that ran under a raised floor or through a flooded space need assessing before air is run through them again. Some can be cleaned; flexible duct and insulation that has been soaked usually needs replacing. We'll tell you which, and we'll tell you when the building itself needs a remediation specialist first.
A written record
Every assessment ends with a written record: each unit, its condition, the waterline where there was one, photographs, and our recommendation with a written price. What you do with it — including with your insurer — is your decision. We don't interpret policies or advise on claims.
Facilities and homes
The same phases at two scales.
Facilities
A site full of units
For a facility, storm readiness is a list: every rooftop unit, split system and piece of plant equipment, photographed and located, with a named person who knows the shut-offs. After a storm, the assessment is unit by unit, in one document, so the facility manager can prioritise what comes back first — usually the server room, the clinic rooms or the areas people must work in.
A rooftop unit secured to its curb.
Homes
One or two systems
For a house, it's usually one outdoor unit and one indoor unit — often a furnace or air handler in a garage or closet at ground level, which is exactly where flood water goes. After a flood, the questions are simple: was the outdoor unit under water, and did water reach the indoor unit or the ducts? The answers decide whether it's a restart, a repair or a replacement — and, if it's a replacement, whether to raise the new equipment.
Straight answers
Questions after every storm.
How soon can you get here after a big storm?
Honestly, it depends on how wide the damage is. After a major storm every contractor on the coast is stretched. We'll give you a real window on the phone, and we prioritise safety issues and critical facilities.
The outdoor unit got wet but the water didn't reach the top. Is it OK?
It depends on what the water reached — the electrical compartment and the compressor terminals are low on many units. Leave it off and have it checked. It may well be fine; it's not worth guessing.
Will you tell me whether to claim on insurance?
No. We give you a written record of the equipment's condition and a price for the work. Coverage and claims are between you and your insurer or your own adviser.
Get ahead of the season.
A readiness visit before the storm, or an assessment after it — facility or house.
