After a hailstorm strikes, the first thing you may do is run outside to check your car, roof, or siding. Hail can cause a lot of damage to your property, especially if the hail is very large. Don't forget to check your air conditioner condenser too. Depending on the size of the hail, a condenser can suffer extensive damage that needs prompt repairs. Here's how hail can damage your AC condenser and the repairs you might need to have done.

How Hail Damages Your Air Conditioner

The impacts from hail can dent the metal condenser. If your condenser is on the roof and has nothing to shield it, the condenser could get severely battered. Your house might offer some protection from hail if the condenser is on the ground, but that depends on the nature of the storm and the direction of wind.

Impact dents from hail aren't always just cosmetic. If hail strikes the thin metal fins on the side of the condenser, the fins could bend, and that would block airflow. Hail might also bend the fan blades that work to cool off the condenser and cause the fan to malfunction. Hail might also strike electrical wiring or even refrigerant lines and cause damage to them. The condenser coils are just behind the delicate fins, and they might be damaged too if the hail is large enough and hits with enough force.

Repairs You May Need For AC Hail Damage

Have your air conditioner checked after it's been battered by hail. Running the AC when the condenser has damage that affects parts like the fins or fan could cause even further damage to the condenser parts. It's better to find and repair damage before running your AC normally again.

If the fins are bent, the air conditioning repair technician might open them back up with a fin comb. If the fins are damaged severely, the coils may need to be replaced, especially if the copper coil tubes are damaged too.

Bent fan blades may seem like a minor problem, but when the fan wobbles or scrapes the inside of the condenser, it could affect the motor and cause it to overheat. The blades need to be replaced or straightened so they spin freely and are aligned or you might have to pay for extra repairs such as replacing a burned-out motor.

The repair technician may have to deal with a refrigerant leak if a refrigerant line was punctured by hail. They might also have to repair electronic parts. If the hail was accompanied by heavy rain, flooding, lightning, or strong wind, there could be other storm damage to repair so your AC is safe to run again.