Most property owners would not feel comfortable in their interiors without air conditioning. You need it to generate just the right of cold or warmth to keep your interiors within the ideal temperatures. Even so, air conditioners are among the leading causes of property fires.
They account for the ignition of approximately 2,800 fires annually. This is only about 2% of property fires, but it is still a devastating statistic. Professional air duct cleaning for your property might not seem like much towards the safety of your property from fires. For most people, in fact, this sounds like a waste of their precious cash.
Even so, air duct cleaning by professionals can save you thousands of dollars’ worth of fire damage to your property. Moreover, with a report on your property’s duct cleaning, you have more proof of your contribution to fire damage protection and are thus better-placed to win compensation for a property fire.
The following are the common causes of air conditioner fires:
Storage of Flammables Near Air Conditioners
Few property owners see the need of getting a professional to install their air conditioners. They assume that provided the system is placed anywhere on their property, conditioned air is a guarantee. The placement of your air conditioner, however, plays a crucial role in the output quality and operation of your unit.
Placing it too close to flammable materials like paper, gasoline, and outdoor debris increases its risk of catching fire. Professionals recommend leaving a space of approximately three feet around your air conditioning units to avert a fire.
Dirty Air Conditioners
Without a periodic professional clean of your air conditioner, debris accumulates in its interior components, including the fins, filters, vents, and coils. This obstructs the normal flow of air through your unit. The resultant back-drafting of air through your air conditioner causes an imbalance that can ignite a fire.
If you use a furnace, the cleaning of your unit will also entail that of your chimney. This prevents the accumulation of combustible creosote that can ignite and cause a fire.
Electrical Issues
Loose, damaged, and old electrical wires connecting different parts of your air conditioner can also generate sparks that ignite a fire. This is often the case if there is debris that can catch the spark and ignite a fire near the unit or in it.
Frequent maintenance picks the damaged wires and intervenes appropriately before they generate sparks.
Overheating
Mechanical issues are the most common causes of overheating in an air conditioner. If, for instance, your motors’ bearings have inadequate lubrication, they will overheat when turning and ignite a fire. Debris also makes the motor work harder than it is meant to. An overworking motor generally overheats and ignites fires.
Other than the prevention of the above causes of fire, air conditioning cleaning, and maintenance also improves the operation of your unit. This ordinarily translates to optimal air quality and usage of minimal energy to run your air conditioner. It also extends the durability of your appliance.
