Before season: confirm the outdoor unit is strapped to its pad to code, the pad is not undermined by erosion, lines are insulated, and you know where the AC disconnect is. Photograph the unit and its rating plate; post-storm you will be glad the 'before' exists.
After a storm: if the unit took standing water, debris impact, or the house lost its roof, do not energize it. Waterlogged controls and damaged wiring are shock and fire risks, and running a damaged unit can convert a covered equipment loss into a denied 'you operated it broken' argument.
Get the inspection and keep the report with your claim file. In the post-storm queue, households with documentation and a safe-to-run verdict get scheduled first - the paper is part of the repair.
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