Reduce Hail Damage – Or Get the Most from Your Insurance

By: RK Service

Colorado residents are no strangers to hail damage. In fact, all of Colorado east of the Rocky Mountains (including the Front Range) is prone to frequent hail exceeding ¾ inches in diameter and up to golf ball-sized 1.75 inches. Hail this size can cause serious damage to roof or ground-mounted machinery and equipment. September and October are big months for hail, so now’s a good time to consider how to protect your equipment.

RK Service is often called to repair hail damage to rooftop HVAC system condenser units. Condensing units typically feature a coil made of copper (which has high thermal conductivity) that is covered with many thin aluminum fins (to provide high surface area). The condenser coil uses these copper coils and aluminum fins to dissipate heat from the building.  Hail damages the condenser unit by crushing the fins and denting the coils which reduce its ability to dissipate heat. This excess heat not only greatly reduces building efficiency, it is likely to cause the compressor and condenser fans to fail resulting in much higher repair costs.

Tips on Reducing Rooftop HVAC Hail Damage
Although RK Service can repair most hail damage, there are ways you can reduce or prevent it!

Assess equipment exposure: First, it’s a great idea to physically inspect all rooftop equipment to gauge its potential exposure to hail and other weather elements. If you’re not sure how to conduct an inspection, just ask us—RK Service will conduct an on-site inspection and alert you to potential problems.

Install hail guards: These are a good investment for protecting the longevity and energy efficiency of your equipment. If you don’t want to do the install yourself, RK Service can install them for you.

Perform planned maintenance to keep equipment free of dirt and debris: Don’t have the staff to do it yourself? RK Service performs routine inspection, cleaning and maintenance on rooftop condensers and can attest that a planned maintenance agreement will keep your equipment running longer and stronger—plus, no staffing headaches for you!

Already Hit by Hail? Work with a Service Repair Company that Knows Insurance
At RK Service, our service goes well beyond repairing hail damage. One of our most valuable services is interfacing with customers’ insurance companies to help them take full advantage of their premiums.

Make sure your service repair company is good at communicating with insurance companies: You want your service provider to represent you well, not cause additional problems. RK Service excels at getting the best out of insurers.

It’s ideal if your service repair company can help you identify other contractors: What if you also need roof repairs, or need to replace broken windows? RK Service can connect you with other reputable contractors that are also experienced at dealing with insurance agencies on your behalf. We can even coordinate other contractor’s work for you.

Choose One Provider that Knows your Equipment
When you choose one service company that offers prevention (such as hail guards), emergency repairs and on-going planned maintenance, you take advantage of a firm that knows your equipment inside and out and has the historical knowledge of your equipment to more accurately and quickly troubleshoot issues, resulting in repairs done right the first time. Contact RK Service at service@rkindustries.com – we’ll conduct a free weather protection inspection of your rooftop or ground-mounted equipment, or make any emergency repairs that September hail may bring.