Tips For Installing Air Conditioning In A Flooded Home

If your home was flooded or if you have purchased a fixer-upper that has flood damage, one of the main things that you might be worried about is installing air conditioning. Of course, just as with lots of things when you're restoring a flooded home, this can be a big project. You'll probably need to take these steps when installing air conditioning in a flooded home so that you can work toward making it a livable residence again.

Make Sure It's Safe to Work In

First of all, before you or a crew of HVAC technicians are able to work in the flooded home, you will need to make sure that it's safe to do so. It should be thoroughly cleaned of any floodwater, debris, and mold. You may want to have it checked out by an inspector to ensure that it isn't condemned and that it's safe to enter.

Have the Electrical Wiring Checked Out

In many cases, when people have their home air conditioning systems replaced, the HVAC technicians simply hook the new unit up to the existing wiring. If the wiring was damaged in the flood, however, it might have to be completely replaced. Your HVAC technician might be able to make this determination, or you may need to have the wiring looked at by a licensed electrician.

Replace the Unit

In some cases, it is possible to salvage a unit that has been exposed to floodwater. If the water covered the unit completely, though -- particularly if it happened for an extended period of time -- the unit will probably have to be replaced. An HVAC technician who has experience in working on water-damaged units should be able to take a look at your existing unit to determine if repairing it is an option, but you may want to budget and plan for purchasing a new unit for the home.

Replace or Clean the Ductwork

When a home is flooded, water often sits in the ductwork. This causes contamination and can lead to mold growth. In some cases, the ductwork might be damaged by rushing floodwaters and might be torn apart. The ductwork could potentially be cleaned, or it might have to be replaced completely.

Dealing with a flooded home is a big project. You're probably going to want to hire a good HVAC crew to help you with things like getting the air conditioning back up and running in the home. The steps above should help you get started with this undertaking. For more information, contact a company in your area that offers air conditioning installation services.