How to Prepare Your Air Conditioner for Hurricane Season in Florida

Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, and the AC damage we see afterward falls into three buckets: wind-blown debris in the outdoor unit, water where water should not be, and electrical damage from surges and lightning. Most of it is preventable with an hour of preparation, and the worst of it happens after the storm, when a damaged system gets switched back on.

Before the Season: Set Your System Up to Survive It

Get the spring tune-up done. A system going into storm season with weak components fails during the August heat that follows every storm. A professional tune-up catches the marginal capacitor or low charge before the season stresses it.

Clear the zone around the outdoor unit. Trim back branches, move anything stackable or throwable, and keep the condenser's clearance open. In a storm, everything within reach of the wind becomes a projectile aimed at your coil fins.

Check how the unit is anchored. Outdoor units in Florida should be secured to their pad. If yours wobbles or the pad is sinking or tilting, have it corrected before the season, not after.

Document the system while it is healthy. Photograph the outdoor unit, the indoor air handler, and the data plate with the model and serial numbers, and keep your service records together. If you ever file an insurance claim, before-and-after photos and a paper trail are what make it go smoothly.

When a Storm Is Coming: The 5-Step Shutdown Checklist

1. Pre-cool the house. Run the AC a few degrees cooler than usual in the hours before the storm. If you lose power, the house starts from a lower temperature and stays livable longer.
2. Secure the area around the outdoor unit. Do a final sweep for loose furniture, planters, toys, and yard tools anywhere near the condenser.
3. Photograph the system one more time. A dated photo from right before the storm is the cleanest possible "before" for any insurance claim.
4. Turn the system off at the thermostat when severe weather arrives. A system that is off cannot short-cycle through power flickers, and each flicker-restart is a surge risk to the compressor.
5. If flooding or a direct hit is possible, shut off the AC breaker too. Cutting power at the panel protects the equipment from surges and guarantees it cannot run while wet.

One thing not on the list: wrapping the outdoor unit in plastic. Condensers are built to live outdoors, and a wrapped unit traps moisture against the equipment. Secure the area instead, and never run the system while it is covered by anything.

Lightning and Surges: The Damage You Cannot See From the Yard

Florida led the nation in lightning damage to homes again last year: insurers handled 5,136 lightning-related homeowners claims in Florida in 2025, totaling about $186 million in losses, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Air conditioners are a frequent casualty, because a surge does not need a direct strike - a hit anywhere nearby can ride the lines in and take out the compressor, the control board, or both. The compressor is the most expensive component in the system, which is why surge damage so often turns into a replace-or-repair decision.

A dedicated HVAC surge protector is the inexpensive defense, and it is a device Alachua County's permit checklist already anticipates - installations that include one must follow the manufacturer's instructions. Ask us about surge protection for your system; current offers are listed below. And if your thermostat comes up blank after a storm, that is a classic surge symptom - our guide on why a thermostat goes blank walks through what to check.

After the Storm: Check Before You Restart

Most post-storm AC damage we see was survivable until the system was turned back on. Before you restore power to the AC, walk outside and check:

• Water. If the outdoor unit was under water at any point - look for a mud or debris line - do not run it. Flooded electrical components and controls need an inspection first.
• Debris. Clear leaves and branches off the unit and check the coil fins for dents and punctures. Light surface debris is fine to remove yourself; anything lodged inside the cabinet is a service call.
• The refrigerant lines. Look at the two lines running from the unit to the house. If either is bent, crushed, or pulled loose, leave the system off.
• The unit's position. A condenser shifted off its pad has likely stressed its line connections. Do not run it until it is inspected and reset.
• The breaker's behavior. If the AC breaker trips when you restore it, stop. A breaker that will not hold is telling you something shorted, and repeatedly resetting it deepens the damage.

If everything checks out - dry, clear, intact, breaker holds - restore power and let it run. If anything on that list fails, or you smell anything electrical when it starts, shut it down and call. We provide same-day service during business hours, and after a storm we prioritize systems that took real damage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Storm-Ready Starts Before the Forecast

The best storm prep for an air conditioner is a healthy system, a clear yard, surge protection, and an owner who knows not to restart a damaged unit. A+ Air Conditioning and Refrigeration has been getting Gainesville-area systems through Florida summers since 1998. If your AC needs its seasonal tune-up, or it came out of the last storm running rough, we will take a look - the estimate is free.