Stormy weather such as high winds of the Las Vegas Spring season or hail of the late Summer monsoon season can damage your air conditioner. Aside from the obvious dings or dents on the exterior of your air conditioner, there are a number of internal areas that need to be checked for damage. Failure to do so can result in costly repairs later. Home Air Conditioning and Heating of Las Vegas offers a Free Inspection service to make sure you air conditioner has survived the storm season and is ready for the heat of Summer.

Here are a few areas on which we focus during our free inspections:

Condensing Unit
The cooling fins that surround your condensing unit need to be in perfect order to allow air to flow between them so heat can be removed from the refrigerant. Hail can get into the side of the air conditioner bending the cooling fins flat. Larger hail can damage the tubing system that runs through the coil. The coil must be carefully inspected to be sure any flattened areas are combed out.

The Fan Motor and Blades
The fan motor and cooling fan blades comprise a well-balanced and precisely pitched unit. If a hail stone impacts the motor or fan blades, it could cause significant long-term damage due to wobbling or the fan cooling system being out of balance. If one of the fan blades gets bent, the unit may not cool properly. It may also shed the blade when the fan is spinning. This would result in a catastrophic failure of the entire air conditioning unit.

Electrical Lines Connected to Unit
Thermostat wiring and high voltage electrical wiring connect the air conditioner to your home’s power and thermostat. If a hail stone hits the wires, it may damage the wire or break a connection.

Copper Refrigerant Lines and Connections
Although the copper lines that connect the outdoor air conditioner to the inside coil are somewhat flexible, a sudden blow from a hail stone could rupture the soldered connection and allow the refrigerant to leak out.

Package Unit Duct Shields and Connections
Package units connect to the home duct system directly outside the house. If hail or high winds pound the shield or the duct connections, they could easily jar the duct system loose from its normally tight connection.

Is AC Unit Hail Damage Covered by Insurance
In most cases, air conditioner damages caused by wind or hail are covered under your homeowner insurance. However, claims adjusters aren’t HVAC experts and they’ve been known to mistakenly tell homeowners that the damages are only cosmetic. Don’t let this happen to you. Let Home Air Conditioning and Heating of Las Vegas inspect your air conditioning unit after high winds or hail storms. Call us today at 702-878-8367.