Cleaning Procedures for Flood Damage on HVAC Equipment

HVAC Flood Damage

 

Part of the country has dealt with record breaking high temperatures other parts have been plagued with flooding.  For those of you who have experienced high water here are some tips if your HVAC system was under water.  Mind you this is for minor and temporary water coverage of your equipment.  If you have experienced major flood damage and loss notify your insurance company and call in the professionals.  Do not attempt to work on or around damaged high voltage electrical or gas lines yourself.

Clean Up and Inspection Procedures for Minor Flood Coverage of HVAC Equipment:

• · Make sure all power is off to the unit.  Turn off at the breaker box, disconnect box, and turn gas off at the gas stop.
• · Do not attempt to turn on unit until system is completely dried out.
• · Wear gloves when working and cleaning around unit.
• · Remove old air filter and replace with new filter after unit has been cleaned.
• · Remove any foreign debris that may have accumulated around or inside of unit.
• · Removed all panels and clean with diluted bleach mixture (1 cup bleach to 1 gallon water).  Clean inside and outside of unit, every inch that you can get to with a small sponge.  Do not mix cleaning solutions.
• · Inspect all wiring and components for damage.
• · Oil motors that have oil ports.
• · Turn power back on.  Check the air conditioning first, then the heat.  It might be a good idea to have two people available, one at the breakers and one at the unit with a fire extinguisher at the ready.
• · A mild musty odor is normal.  You can buy scented air freshener packs at Lowes and Home Depot that attach to your air filter.
• · Visually inspect visible parts of ductwork and insulation for mold.
• · This might be a good time to consider air duct cleaning.

For more information go to www.cdc.gov and search “Flood Contaminated HVAC Systems”.

Picture from Google Images.