Monsoon Season Is Coming: How to Protect Your AC and Plumbing

Every summer, monsoon season rolls through the Phoenix metro with dust walls, microbursts, and sudden downpours. Your AC and plumbing take the brunt of it. Here's how to get ahead of the damage.

Protect your AC from dust and surges

• Replace your air filter right after every major dust storm: a haboob can clog a fresh filter in a single afternoon.
• Rinse the outdoor condenser coils gently with a hose after dust events so the system can shed heat properly.
• Consider a surge protector for your HVAC system. Monsoon lightning and grid flickers are a leading cause of fried control boards.
• Keep vegetation and debris at least two feet clear of the outdoor unit.

Check your plumbing before the rain hits

• Test your water shut-off valve so you know it works before an emergency.
• Clear roof drains and scuppers. Pooled water finds its way into walls.
• If your water heater is in the garage, check the base for rust or moisture now; flooding makes a failing tank much worse.

Schedule a tune-up before the storms

A pre-monsoon inspection catches weak capacitors, dirty coils, and loose electrical connections, the exact parts most likely to fail when the weather turns violent and every AC company's phone starts ringing at once.