HOUSTON — With thousands of homeowners facing serious financial challenges to rebuild in the wake of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, a special program called “Operation Returning Comfort” is offering substantial, verified discounts on Goodman^â brand heating and air conditioning systems from participating local Goodman dealers.

“Operation Returning Comfort began as a way to help support the flooded communities of coastal Texas and Houston, the city where Goodman began 35 years ago and is still our home,” said Jeff Underwood, vice president of marketing for Goodman. “Goodman and its employees, friends, and community experienced the devastation from Harvey, and our hearts go out to those suffering from this disaster. After Hurricane Irma slammed into central and south Florida, a quick decision was made to extend the relief program.”

Operation Returning Comfort will provide substantial discounts to help homeowners replace damaged HVAC systems as quickly as possible.

“Many Goodman employees and dealers live in areas hit by these massive storms, and they, too, have experienced flooding and other problems,” said Underwood. “Operation Returning Comfort is just one small way that the company can work together with independent dealers to help. We understand that a large number of homeowners will be faced with large, unplanned expenses as they recover from the aftermath of Harvey and Irma.”

Operation Returning Comfort pricing discounts are designed to pass savings directly to an affected homeowner. All local, independent Goodman dealers in the Harvey-damaged Houston region are eligible to participate.

To ensure that homeowners receive the discount, Goodman’s Homeowner Support team will make random calls to homeowners to confirm they received the appropriate pricing. In addition, the local Goodman dealer and affected homeowner are required to complete and sign a participation form that confirms the installation.

HIDDEN DANGERS

“While flooding ruins a home’s furnishing, structure, and personal belongings, it also can leave behind hidden dangers to HVAC systems,” Underwood explained. “Appearances can be deceiving. Even if the HVAC system is energized and appears to be working when you return home, it is likely that the system will not operate properly, will not deliver the performance that you expect, and may cease to function shortly after it appeared to be working.”

It is highly recommended that homeowners with flooded houses have a qualified HVAC technician inspect the home’s heating and cooling system before using it, said Underwood.

“The outdoor unit might look the same as it did prior to the flood, but there are many hidden concerns that may not be obvious to the untrained eye,” he said. “Simply stated, your heating and cooling system was not designed to operate under water.”

If the unit was running when flooding occurred, there could be severe electrical shorts, damaged electrical components, and safety features that are no longer operable that may not be visible.

Indoor components are also affected by flood damage. Flood waters can corrode electrical components and cause similar damage to the outdoor unit. Also, gas furnaces have gas valves and other components that should be inspected before operating the unit.

TAKING ACTION

To take advantage of this special program, homeowners can contact their local, participating HVAC dealer for full details. To find an independent Goodman dealer, visit  www.goodmanmfg.com/support/find-a-dealer.

“A long road lies ahead for the restoration and reconstruction that will allow families to return to living normal lives,” said Underwood. “Goodman is a native Texan with strong ties to Florida, and we hope Operation Returning Comfort can help communities get their home lives back to normal as quickly as possible.”

For more information, visit www.goodmanmfg.com.

Publication date: 9/20/2017

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