What a hurricane actually does to a condenser unit

Every June, we get the same question: should I cover my condenser before a storm? The wind itself rarely does the damage people expect — a condenser is built to sit outside year-round. What actually causes failures is what follows: standing water, storm debris pulled into the coil, and power surges when the grid comes back online unevenly.

Before the storm

Clear debris and loose objects from around the unit, and if flooding is forecast for your area, shut off power at the breaker rather than the thermostat — a unit that tries to run while partially submerged is how a cleanable coil turns into a replaced compressor. Don’t cover the unit tightly with plastic; trapped moisture underneath causes more corrosion than open air does.

After the power comes back

Don’t just flip the breaker and walk away. Surges during grid restoration are common, and they’re hard on a compressor’s start components. Give it a visual check for debris in the coil fins first, and if the unit hums but doesn’t start, or trips the breaker again, that’s a call — not a second attempt.

What we check on a post-storm visit

A storm inspection covers the same ground every time: coil condition, electrical connections for corrosion, the condensate drain for debris, and a start-up test with gauges rather than just listening for it to run. Most storm-related calls are a caught-early fix, not a full replacement — but only if the unit isn’t run hard while something’s actually wrong.