One of the most popular questions we hear about air conditioners is “can air conditioner attracts lightning”. Today that question will be answered. It’s very important for us to know how air conditioners operate. Air Conditioners are fairly common.
Using air conditioners can be tricky. Something that we’re always curious about is if air conditioners attract lightning. This often scares people and is one of the main reasons people are scared to buy air conditioners. This concern is seen in everyone nowadays. So, can air conditioners attract lightning?
There’s also a reason behind this fear. If air conditioners do attract lightning, then there’s a possibility that it might burn our house down. This is why we are always so curious regarding this matter. Finding out about air conditioners isn’t that hard, but finding the proper answer to if air conditioners attract lightning is hard. We’ve done a lot of research to find this answer.
Do Air Conditioners Attract Lightning?
Air Conditioners don’t attract lightning. Air Conditioners are very important in our day to day lives. We use it daily. Even though Air Conditioners don’t attract lightning, it’s still not safe to keep the air conditioners on during any sort of storm.
Lightning brings the risk of lightning. Lightning is basically the natural discharge of electricity that happens in a brief period.
Lighting is usually responsible for harming electronic appliances.
The sudden surge of electricity running through the electrical lines harms electronics.
Do Household Appliances like Air Conditioners Attract Lightning?
There are tons of electronic appliances in our households. Unfortunately, some of these appliances attract lightning which harms our electronics.
By attracting lightning, it harms electronics badly.
Advantages Of Having An Air Conditioner
Having an air conditioner has its perks. Some of these perks are
1) Cool air improves work performance.
2) Working out in cool air is more accessible.
3) Make sure other electronic devices don’t overheat.
4) Lessens’ possibilities of dehydration.
5) Lessens possibilities of asthma attacks
6) Overall, it makes our home more secure.
7) Helps with respiratory issues
8) Keeps insects away
Disadvantages Of Having An Air Conditioner
An air conditioner is mainly seen as a saviour during summer days. Even though most people appreciate the creation of this device, there are a few disadvantages of using an air conditioner.
Air Conditioners often harm mother earth. Air Conditioners often produce man-made greenhouse gases. These gases harm the ozone layer and the air quality of the earth. Harming our earth is never a good thing as we live here.
Sometimes water drips from the side of an air conditioning unit. This causes puddles of water under the unit. In these puddles, Aedes mosquitoes are born. These mosquitoes are responsible for dengue, zika virus, chikungunya, etcetera. Other than that, these water puddles cause sore eyesight.
Being under an air-conditioned space always also causes arthritis, itchy skin, headaches, respiratory issues, and infections. Even though Air Conditioners have many disadvantages, they are still used in every household.
What Is The Ideal Ac Temperature?
Ideal AC temperatures differ between individuals. Some people prefer keeping it around 18C while others prefer 19C. The perfect temperature for each person is different.
So ultimately, there is no ideal temperature as it varies from one person to another.
Should We Keep The Ac On All The Time?
An air conditioner is designed specifically to maintain a specific room temperature all day.
An AC unit has a compressor. The cooling system is only done while the compressor is running. This is because the compressor needs 90%-95% of the power taken for the entire AC system. Even then, it can only run for 15-16hrs per day.
So even if we keep our AC running all day, it won’t actually be on all day.
Keeping the air conditioner on at all times won’t hurt it. It won’t cause any harm to it.
Should We Use Our Air Conditioner During lightning?
An air conditioner is an electronic device. During any kind of rain or storm, we should turn all sorts of electronics off. The reason behind this is that during storms, power surges through electrical lines. If a big surge of power suddenly hits our electronics, it damages the appliance.
This is why we should never use any electronic appliances during lightning, including an air conditioner.
Reason Behind Turning Air Conditioner Off During Storms
Even though there’s a minimal possibility that lighting will strike our home, if it happens, it will cause a vast amount of power surge through our electrical lines. Close to five thousand joules can course through the wiring before even the breaker is tripped.
After a power surge this big, our air conditioners won’t even turn on. Firstly our plugs will melt right off. The damage done to the electrical lines inside the air conditioner will be tremendous. Problems like these will probably require an HVAC replacement.
These are the reasons we should always turn our air conditioner off during storms.
Protecting Your Air Conditioner During a Lightning
There are many ways to protect our air conditioners, even though lightning. Turning off the power is the best way to prevent lightning from hitting our air conditioners. This way, our air conditioners are safe from all the side effects of lighting.
By keeping our air conditioner on during lightning, we are risking its safety, as there’s still a tiny chance that lightning might hit your air conditioner.
So there really is no reason to risk it. This is the best way to protect our air conditioners.
Is An Air Conditioner Surge Protector Important?
A surge protector is used to protect electronic appliances from electrical spikes and power outages. By using this surge protector, you can easily protect your air conditioner along with other appliances. In addition, this device serves the purpose of protecting electronics from sudden power surges.
Even if lightning hits your air conditioner during a storm, this device will protect it, which is why it is essential.
Do Rain And Storm Affect Air Conditioner Outdoor Units?
The outdoor unit of the AC is built to make sure it can handle a bit of rain and heavy storms. So the only way things can go wrong with the outdoor unit is if water from the rain or storm completely submerges it.
If rain or stormwater submerges the outside unit, then it will stop working. If the outside unit stops working, then the air conditioner will stop working as well. This is why we need to keep an eye out for these problems during the rainy season.
Should We Cover Outdoor Air Conditioner Units?
Outdoor air conditioner units are basically built to withstand whatever weather mother nature throws at them. However, if we cover them with tarps, the possibilities are rust will form all around it and maybe even inside the coils.
The trapped moisture under the tarp will cause rust, and if the rust forms on the coil, the air conditioner will face issues. For this reason, we shouldn’t cover the outdoor units of air conditioners.
How To Protect an Outdoor Air Conditioner Unit From lightning?
Suppose a heavy storm or hurricane is coming our way. In that case, the best way to protect our outdoor air conditioner units from lightning is by covering them during the storm. It won’t completely protect the air conditioner unit, but it will help prevent debris and dust from getting in. Unfortunately, strong winds can cause severe damage, especially if you live near coastal areas.
Covering the outdoor air conditioner unit will also keep any feral animals seeking shelter during the rainy season and storms. During lightning, feral animals seek shelter from the heavy droplets and ferocious wind.
Conclusion
In conclusion, an air conditioner doesn’t attract lightning. Air Conditioners are relatively safe even during lightning. You just have to remember to turn the air conditioner off. That way, nothing will happen to it. It will be safe and unharmed. You have to keep in mind that keeping your air conditioner on during lightning is risky. So even though it’s tempting and your air conditioner doesn’t attract lightning, it’s still best to turn your air conditioner off during lightning. Keep your air conditioner and your home safe by maintaining these steps. Always maintaining these steps will make sure your air conditioner is in perfect health.
