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What hail does to an air conditioner — and what we document.
For homeowners and building managers in the north DFW suburbs, after a storm.
Read this first: we do not advise on insurance
This page explains what hail does to heating and cooling equipment and what an inspection from us produces. It does not tell you whether your policy covers the damage, whether to file a claim, or how to deal with an adjuster. Those are questions for your insurer, your agent, or a licensed public adjuster or attorney if you want independent advice. We are HVAC technicians; we describe equipment, not policies.
Right after the storm
Before anyone touches the unit, including us: photograph it.
- Photograph all four sides and the top of the outdoor unit, close enough to see the fins, with a wider shot showing where it sits. Date-stamped phone photos are fine.
- If it runs normally, you can usually keep using it. If you hear new scraping or rattling, the fan blade looks bent, or the breaker trips, switch it off at the thermostat and call.
- Do not comb or straighten the fins yourself before the damage has been recorded, and do not hose the coil hard — flattened fins tear easily.
- Check the other outdoor equipment too — a second condenser, a heat pump, a mini-split outdoor unit, and on commercial buildings every rooftop unit.
Why dented fins matter more than they look.
The outdoor coil is a radiator. Its job is to throw the heat taken out of your house into the outside air, and it does that through thousands of thin aluminium fins with small gaps between them.
Hail flattens the fins
Stones strike the coil face and fold the fins over, closing the gaps. A few dents do little; a broad area of flattened fins is a different matter.
Less air gets through
With the gaps closed, the fan moves less air across the coil, and less heat leaves the system.
The system works harder
Pressures and temperatures inside the system climb. It runs longer for less cooling, and its compressor works harder than it was designed to on a hot afternoon.
Other damage we look for
- Fan blades bent, cracked or out of balance
- Fan guard and top panel dented into the fan
- Refrigerant lines, insulation and service valves damaged
- Electrical disconnect or cover broken
- On rooftop units: cabinet panels, flue caps, economiser hoods and condensate drains
A written record of the equipment, not an opinion about your policy.
- Photographs
- Every face of every outdoor unit, close and wide, including the data plate.
- Unit details
- Make, model, serial number and approximate age of each piece of equipment.
- Description
- What is damaged, where, and how extensively, in plain words.
- Performance
- How the system is actually running: readings taken with it operating, where it is safe to run.
- What it needs
- Our assessment of what the equipment needs to work properly — cleaning and straightening, component replacement, coil replacement or full replacement — with a written price for that work.
You get a copy to keep and do with as you choose. We do not contact your insurer on your behalf, and we do not negotiate with adjusters.
The same inspection, at two scales.
One or two outdoor units
Most houses have a single condenser or heat pump, sometimes two. The inspection takes one visit. If the unit is running poorly, we tell you whether it is safe to keep using while you decide what to do.
A roof full of units
A commercial roof after a storm is a survey job: every rooftop unit, every split system, every exhaust fan and hood, recorded unit by unit with its own photographs and description, so the building's owner or manager has one document covering the whole roof.
Questions we are asked after every storm.
Does every hail-dented unit need replacing?
No. Light denting often makes little practical difference, and some coils can be straightened. Heavy, widespread flattening, a damaged fan or damaged refrigerant components are different. The inspection is how you find out which you have.
Should I get coil guards so this doesn't happen again?
Guards are available and some owners like them, but they come with trade-offs — anything placed over a coil can also restrict the airflow it needs. If you are interested, we will explain the options for your unit honestly rather than recommend them by default.
How soon after a storm should I call?
If the unit is not working properly, now. If it seems fine, within a few days is sensible — and before anyone straightens or cleans the coil. After a big storm every contractor in the area is busy, so we will give you an honest window on the phone.
Will you tell me whether to file a claim?
No. That decision, and anything about coverage, is between you and your insurer or your own adviser. We give you a written record of the equipment and a price for the work it needs.
Storm came through? Get the equipment on record.
House or commercial roof. We will tell you on the phone what the inspection involves and what it costs.