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During a thunderstorm, the air may become hot and humid. While turning on your air conditioner at this time may feel tempting, it isn’t the best thing to do. Mechanical Technologies, a leading air conditioning service contractor, explains further.
Remember that temperature and humidity decrease as soon as a storm hits. Until this happens, you might as well keep the AC turned off. Lightning is common in thunderstorms and on the off chance that it strikes your property, it can cause serious damage to your outdoor AC unit if it is running.
While it is a rarity, you can’t count out the possibility of a lightning strike during a thunderstorm. A single strike has tremendous amounts of energy and if it hits your home, it only takes a split-second to cause the breakers to trip and impact the entire electrical system. A power surge occurs, affecting all the appliances in your home, including your AC system. If this happens and the AC is running, the plug may melt and damage the internal circuitry of the unit’s control panel, requiring extensive AC repair or even a replacement if the damage is severe.
Your outdoor AC unit has a casing that protects the interior components like the condenser motors and compressor from the elements. While they may have to dissipate heat to function properly, rain doesn’t interfere with their performance, which means turning the AC on while it is raining outside is fine. However, if rain is accompanied by thunder and lightning, you’re better off keeping it off until these conditions subside to protect your system.
For air duct cleaning and other heating and cooling services, turn to Mechanical Technologies. Call us now at (915) 544-1550 or fill out our contact form to schedule a service appointment.
