There’s nothing like hot and humid weather to make you fully appreciate your air conditioning service. And yet it’s that same kind of weather that creates thunderstorms. That begs the question: how well do air conditioning and thunderstorms mix?
We know you don’t want to hear this but operating your air conditioner while thunder and lightning do their thing can damage your system.
While lightning strikes to the home are rare, there’s always that possibility. In the process, it can send up to five billion joules of energy through your home’s wiring before the breakers trip — just that quickly, serious damage to you AC system can result.
Specifically, a lightning strike can melt the plug to your unit. The air conditioner’s control panel is full of sensitive electrical circuitry which can be damaged.
Here are more potential consequences:
- Damaged capacitor: The most common air conditioning part to give way following a power surge, a damaged capacitor can lead to further problems, including compressor failure.
- Blown fuses: If the voltage has damaged your air conditioner, you are more likely to encounter an air conditioning system which trips a breaker or blows the fuse due to damaged electrical lines.
- Burned wires: If a power surge damages electrical wires within the air conditioner or within your home, your air conditioner might not work.
- Damaged compressor: One of the most expensive parts to fix in an air conditioning unit, a damaged compressor may not be noticeable right away. It can take weeks or months for an air conditioning unit to finally fail from compressor damage.
Take it from Optimum Air: to play it safe and protect your air conditioning system, shut it down at the first indication that an electrical storm is headed your way. Should lightning strike your home or AC system anyway, contact us right away so we can determine if any damage has occurred.
