Before hurricane season starts (May)
- Schedule your spring AC tune-up early. Booking gets impossible once a named storm enters the Gulf.
- Document your equipment: take photos of the outdoor unit data plate (model + serial), the indoor coil, and any major components. Insurance claims need this.
- Consider installing a whole-house surge protector at the electrical panel if you do not already have one. The single biggest source of storm-related HVAC damage is voltage surge, not floodwater.
- Walk the property: trim back trees and large bushes that could fall on the outdoor unit. Two feet of clearance on all sides; five feet above.
- Verify your homeowners insurance covers HVAC equipment for both wind and named-storm damage. Many Texas policies have separate hurricane deductibles.
When a storm enters the forecast (3-5 days out)
- Clear small debris and yard objects around the outdoor unit. Patio furniture, planters, decorative rocks - anything that can become a projectile.
- Charge your phone, document any pre-existing damage with photos, and back up insurance contact info offline.
- Pre-cool your home in the 12-24 hours before expected impact. A house cooled to 70 deg F before power loss buys you 6-12 extra hours of comfort.
- Refill your AC's spring tune-up filter if it has been more than a month - a clean filter helps the system run efficiently during the pre-storm pre-cool.
When the storm arrives
Two scenarios, two responses:
- Sheltering in place: Keep the AC running normally as long as utility power is stable. If you notice voltage flicker (lights dimming and brightening), turn the AC OFF at the thermostat and at the breaker. Compressors damaged from cycling on unstable voltage rarely recover.
- Evacuating: Turn the thermostat off, then turn the AC's outdoor disconnect off (the metal box near the condenser), then turn the AC breaker off in the main panel. The order matters - shutting down at the disconnect first prevents the system from trying to restart on dirty post-storm power.
After the storm
- Visually inspect the outdoor unit for: bent fins, debris in the coil, displacement from the pad, water lines on the cabinet (indicating flood depth).
- Check that the electrical disconnect box is still secure and dry inside.
- If there is no visible damage AND no flooding occurred, you can restart the system: turn on the breaker, then the disconnect, then set the thermostat. Listen for unusual noises.
- If anything looks off - or if there was any floodwater contact - call for service before restarting. We get hammered post-storm but we will tell you over the phone whether it can wait a day or two.
- Document any damage with photos for insurance. Get a written diagnostic in writing for your claim.
Why surge protection is the highest-ROI investment
Direct lightning strikes are rare. Distributed voltage surges - from utility switching, lightning miles away, downed lines, or generator switching during outages - are common. Every one of those events sends a spike through your home's electrical system. Compressor windings, control boards, and ECM blower motors are all vulnerable.
A whole-house Type 2 surge protective device (SPD) installs at the main electrical panel. A typical Houston install runs $300-600 with a licensed electrician. Avatex holds Texas Master Electrician #535138 - we can install one in the same visit as your HVAC service. Compare that to the $2,000-8,000 we typically see for a storm-damaged compressor or control board, and the math is clear.