What to Do With Your AC After a Hailstorm or Power Outage

A storm just went through, the power flickered or quit, and the outdoor unit is sitting in the yard with who knows what on it. Turn the AC off at the thermostat, leave it off until the power is steady, and look the unit over before you run it. If it took a hit, a technician should see it before it runs again.

Storms in Northeast Oklahoma can bring hail, lightning and outages in the same evening, so the steps below go in the order you will need them.

What should I do with my AC when the power goes out?

Set the thermostat to off. It feels backwards when the house is already warm, but if the system is still calling for cooling when the power returns, everything tries to start at once, and a spike can come back down the line with the power.

Then wait. Once the lights are steady, give it a few minutes before you switch the thermostat back to cool. If the power is flickering on and off, leave the AC off until it settles. Starting and stopping a compressor in the middle of that is hard on it.

While you wait, check the basics:

• Look at the breaker panel for a tripped breaker on the AC. Reset it one time. If it trips again, leave it off and call.
• Look at the disconnect box on the wall near the outdoor unit. Make sure the handle is still in the on position.
• Make sure the thermostat has power. A blank screen after an outage can mean dead batteries or a tripped breaker for the air handler.

A power spike is the reason the surge protector exists. A surge protector at the outdoor unit helps guard the compressor and control boards from spikes, and we install them. If your system does not have one, our AC page covers it.

Is it safe to run my AC after a hailstorm?

Not until you have looked at it. Hail can hurt an outdoor unit even when the house looks fine.

Start with the power. Before you get close, switch the thermostat to off. If you want to look closely or move debris, also turn off the breaker or pull the disconnect. Do not touch loose wires, and do not reach into the unit.

Then walk around it and look for:

• Bent or flattened fins. These are the thin metal slats on the sides of the unit. Light dimpling is one thing. Whole sections pressed flat or torn are another.
• A fan guard pushed in, or a fan blade that does not look straight.
• Dents in the cabinet, a unit that has tilted, or a pad that has shifted.
• Kinked or dented refrigerant lines, or lines pulled away from the house.
• Branches, leaves and ice packed against the coil.

You can clear loose leaves and sticks by hand. A gentle rinse with a garden hose is fine once the power is off. Skip the pressure washer, which can flatten fins on its own.

If you see anything in that list that is more than a few small dents, leave the AC off. Running a unit with a damaged fan, a bent coil or a bad line can turn a repair into a bigger one.

What does a technician check after a storm?

When we look at an AC that went through a storm, we test the electrical side first and name the failed part. After a surge or a hit, these are the usual suspects:

• Capacitors and contactors
• The condenser fan motor
• The compressor
• Evaporator and condenser coils
• Line set repairs, and a refrigerant leak search if a line was damaged

Not everything that fails after a storm is the AC itself. A tripped breaker, a failed thermostat or a clogged drain line can look like storm damage. A technician can tell which one you have. If it is a thermostat, we can replace it. If it is a drain problem, that is a common summer call and we clear it.

If the storm hit a heat pump, the outdoor unit has the same hail exposure, and the same checks apply. Our heat pump page lists what we repair.

Should I repair it or replace it?

It depends on what was damaged and how old the system was. A bent fin section or a failed capacitor is a repair. A crushed coil or a failed compressor on an older system is a different conversation, and that is a good time to compare the repair against a new unit side by side.

Ask the technician for both numbers in writing before you decide. We have been family owned since 1976, and we would rather you choose with the full picture. If replacement comes up, our replacement page explains how that visit works.

What should I do about insurance?

Take photos of the unit, the hail and any damage before you clean anything up. Keep the repair invoice. Then ask your insurance agent whether hail or lightning damage to the equipment is covered under your policy. We cannot answer that for you, and policies differ.

How do I protect my AC before the next storm?

You cannot hail-proof an outdoor unit, but a few things help:

1. Have a surge protector installed at the outdoor unit.
2. Get the spring tune-up so weak parts get caught before a storm finds them. Our maintenance page covers tune-ups and the fall and spring membership.
3. Know where your breaker and the outdoor disconnect are, before you need them.
4. Take a quick photo of the outdoor unit while it is healthy, so you have something to compare against.

Frequently asked questions

Book a visit

If your AC took a hit, or you would like it checked before the next storm, we can take a look.

You can also call the office at (918) 205-1596.