Friday 23 September 2016

Running an Air Conditioner during Thunder Storms

The humid and hot summer conditions can make you want to turn on the air conditioning. However, this season also creates conditions for thunderstorms. Keeping your air conditioner functional during a thunderstorm may cause damage, so it is always a good idea to turn it off when the weather gets bad.

Why should you turn off your A/C during a thunderstorm?

Lightning

Even though lightning strikes on a house are rare, they are certainly possible during a storm. The area where the utility lines connect to your house is an extremely vulnerable area for strikes and if lightning hits here, it may cause a power surge throughout the electrical system of the house. This surge can lead to serious damage to the air conditioner.

This damage can practically render the unit unusable. It can affect the control panel, leading to extensive repair or replacement of the whole unit. The unit’s controls to the cooling and heating system can be corrupted if a lightning strikes when the unit is on.

How can you protect your air conditioner?

Although experts recommend surge protectors, these appliances do not offer the amount of protection required against a surge that is caused due to lightning strike. Therefore, plugging your air conditioner into one will not have the advantages you expect. If you reside in an area known for high occurrence of strikes, you can secure your unit by fitting in a protection system. Use conductors, lightning rods, and ground rods to create an alternate path for lightning so that it does not travel through the electrical system of the house. These units are not 100% effective in preventing surges. Therefore, it is best to keep your A/C off when a thunderstorm pops up.

Can air conditioning be used in rain storms?

Using an air conditioner during rain storm is perfectly safe. Rain will never interrupt with the unit’s capability to function properly. In fact, utilizing your unit on rainy, warm days can keep the house more comfortable — the indoor evaporator coils remove moisture and reduce humidity levels, which helps in improving comfort levels inside the house. However, if the rain storms lead to flooding and you have water logging around your house and unit, you should turn off the system immediately and turn off power at the electrical panel of the house to prevent damage. Make sure you get your unit inspected by a HVAC expert before you start using it again after flooding.

If you are having issues with your air-conditioning after a thunderstorm, make sure you seek advice from a professional on how to get the problem fixed!