Do you live somewhere that you experience lots of rain, snow or extreme heat? Maybe during some seasons you experience thunder and lightning storms? Most places in the United States, including Manhattan New York, will have some sort of extreme weather during the year and even if it is not the norm you need to know what to do during these periods.
NY NJ AC Connection has listed what you need to do with your HVAC during some different weather conditions.
HVAC During Thunder and Lightning: During a scary thunder storm a lot people will go quickly through their home and turn off all their appliances and electronics. Other people will sit back and enjoy the storm and let the surge protectors do their job. The right way to handle this situation is to not rely on a surge protector. The surge that would come from lightning would be high enough that the surge protection that your HVAC unit may be attached to will not help. If lightning strikes near or on your home, anything that is drawing energy will suck up the surge and in turn will be damaged. It is best during an extreme lightning storm to power off your AC unit. You can keep the temperature in your home at a comfortable rate by cracking open the windows and allowing the cooler air from the storm to cool down the home. If you are in an area that has a lot of storms that are accompanied by lightning then you may look into installing a lightning rod that will draw the energy from the strike away from your electronics.
HVAC Systems & Rain: There are days where you have rain without the lighting strikes and this is an opportunity to turn the unit back on. The rain will not affect the unit and in actuality will help with the humidity that comes with a rainy day. Most HVAC units are made to reduce the amount of humidity in your home. If you are suffering through some rain fall it is okay to turn on the unit and allow it to run. It will not only keep you cooled off but will help to lower the humidity in the house and make it much more comfortable. During these rain storms there is nothing more you need to do with your unit.