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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- Thousands of house fires are sparked by air conditioners every year and "GMA" shares tips to stay safe as a heat wave covers parts of Texas and the Southwest.
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Remember people to keep your air conditioner free from debris 👍
My portable AC works just fine. Not even on when I'm gone.
@@RealMTBAddict Portable air conditioners are in general not very good unless you have a 2 hose unit which are rare
@@Warp3326 Mine works fine.
The dangerous component is the person who doesn't maintain their equipment or they abuse it beyond it's capacity. All those AC units were safe when they left the factory.
um...how does someone "abuse" an Ac unit!?
@@mia1shooter The components and parts do have a "shelf life". Like the motor and fan etc. (25 years-ish). Even if it is newer than that, if you continue to use a damaged or otherwise poorly maintained (leaf litter inside the unit constantly for example) unit, it will be "abuse" and can cause more damage and trigger fires.
Age is a contributing factor
I guarantee all of them were not safe when they left the factory.
@@rosameryrojas-delcerro1059 That’s not what one would generally constitute as abuse. I don’t think it’s unsafe to use an AC 20-25 years old either because most people have older ones than that. It’s not something most people replace all the time. Especially in today’s economy. If you keep it clean and maintained it will last a long time..especially older units which were higher quality.
@ 1:50 " A lot of times you have bird make nests inside the unit." that is not true; 99.9 % of residential AC system do not opening big enough for bird to enter.
Ah, you forget the evil hummingbird.
@@northerniltree a hummingbird isn't a quarter inch wide 😂
@@northerniltreeHummingbirds aren't evil. You are.
Mouse nests way more common.
There could be a crack or opening in the grating
Media deception strikes again. Most air conditioner fires are of the portable, window, terminal, and mini split units, not so much the Central Ducted systems. Most central ducted systems when installed properly are really built up with fail safe components including fuses, disconnects, breakers, thermally protected motors that shut off if a bearing seizes or the compressor locks up. By that point if the compressor locks up, it usually means it has mechanically failed and needs replacement. Most central ducted unit fires is due to incompatible components installed as a replacement like capacitors sized wrong to what the motor and compressor needs. Compressor soft starts which are not factory usually and do cause strain on the compressor, and hard start kits. Now if the unit is a veriable speed inverter unit, the inverter board can fail in flames. But single stage and two stage units do not use inverter boards. Single stage systems are far more cheaper to repair and parts are often readily available.
That's crap flammable freon there using now. Basically Propane refrigerant
And next year 2025 all ac units will have R 454 B refrigerent in them which is a mildly flammable refrigerent. I am very worried about whats to come with these. Lithium battery fires electric cars catching fire due to faulty lithium ion batteries, Exploding refrigerators that have R 600 A isobutane refrigerent in them. Back in the days you never hsd to worry about an appliance exploding as they were built way much better. All this nonsense with this junk built stuff makes me want to ditch everyday life, snd go Amish.
An increasing problem is flammable refrigerant in some recently made units. Whatch out!😮
Average people and the media are clueless.
You get what you pay for. Always buy Made in Japan stuff. Lasts a life time. Made in America is just meh now
I dunno if we make 'em in the UK, but if we do ours will be the same as American made units - Only differences being the fans will turn the opposite way, the controls/connects will be on the left hand side, and the coolant will be a heady mixture of warm beer and Earl Grey... 🫖😉
Why are A/C units so close to walls of house? I think it would be better to have it several feet from any wall and not in a corner for better air flow and not have heat blowing on walls. This would also help in case if fire. Window A/C clean filter more than 1-3 months. Most have clean filter lights but usually need to be cleaned more often.
Central AC compressors have copper tubing which carries the refrigerant to the cooling coils inside the furnace duct work above the gas burner array. And a 240V cable with an outside breaker (secondary disconnect) on the wall. I'm not an AC tech, probably would be hazardous to run the cooling line underground even inside conduit as they're not accessible if a problem occurs.
@@TheTheo58and likely city codes against it as well as making it more tempting for the thieves that steal copper and other metals.
@@TheTheo58. Good point. But refrigerant lines coul be above ground, insulated.
@@-Tsquare2023all are insulated already except the liquid line unless it’s a mini split unit
@@TheTheo58new systems use micro channel condenser that’s aluminum
How many of these fires are caused by the new flammable coolant???
Zero. It's not even available yet.
Iso-Butane/Propane.
People have no clue.
@@ryanhealey239 it sounds like he's talking about the "new" a2ls like r32 and r454b. No equipment is being shipped with these just yet.
Plus weeds n trash can slow or clog ur coils n can cause the compressor to over heat n die. Then no a.c.
Wow! i live in a complex and have for over 11 years - not once has anyone checked the outdoor unit and never the inside ones - the furnace should also be checked and coils cleaned - to check no refrigerant leakage - and every 3 months just to check the filter on the outdoor big unit - unreal
No filter on outdoor unit. You don't know what you're talking about about so don't talk
If there’s a refrigerant leak it doesn’t work anymore…not hard to detect.
As a renter your allowed to make them do there job.
If they raise rent for simple maintenance they should be done 2 times a year you can take them to court but most importantly if you tell them repeatedly to do there job and they don’t and stuff caches fire you can sue them for 10 to 30x more then normal as you can go look I’ve told them repeatedly and they’ll go down for not only negotiates but knowing a problem and doing nothing that could have lead to death.
So now that the new coolant that the government is now requiring is flammable, Will there be a lot more air conditioner fires? It will be easier for the flame to track into the house through the coolant line if a fire starts at the compressor/blower.
The EPA making the use of a refrigerant that is explosive (propane) mandatory could be to blame as well.
Those refrigerants are not even flammable like they say , only one is r290 propane and I doubt that's what they had. All of these refrigerants even r410 today's is mildly flammable but again that would never start a fire. The fire starts from some type of electrical issue most of the time and the type of refrigerant in the system are not going to make a difference
@@eastsidepyro2685I’m okay with R32 since Japan has been having it for a decade but no R290 for me.
Iso-Butane/Propane, under pressure... no good!
me when I spread misinfo
Clean ur condenser obviously. Dey leaves and twigs inside the condenser obviously will set debris on fire. The condenser is where the refrigerant is the hottest to release it out into da atmosphere
Is there a list of things I dont have to worry about? Bet it's a small list.
Geezus. So glad I live in a state where we can live happily without a/c in the summer.
What state is that as even in Canada there have been upper 90's temps this summer.
@@ironbowtie Alaska......You might need it in August...
We dying in texas
Alaska?
They are made poorly now. All junk. My parents AC in the Arizona desert ,in the 70s, never broke down. Ever. Lived there 17 years it was running when we moved. The refrigerator was the same.
That "home" had plywood on its top floor windows where the fire started. It was already abandoned by the landlord regardless of who was still renting it. Money over safety.
My home is 30’x10’, I have an A/C|heat pump, I have it set for 80° in the summer, turning dome only for a short while. I have 3 ceiling fans. In the winter house is at 65° to 68°. So far so good. The house also has 3 to 4 inches blowing insulation ceiling, walls and floor.
Keep your air conditioner free from debris and set the thermostat to 72° when it's 110°.My brother and I have our differences about the thermostat being set when it's 110 outside I tried to convince him to set it to 74° so the motor doesn't blow up. What happens after a couple weeks the motor needed to be replaced🤯🙊🙉🙈
Simple and great advice.
be carefull when geting weeds and stuff dont use weed wakers do it by hand any puncher in the radiator will break them and they will not work.
Lol, my house air conditioner unit would never turn off if I set it to 72. I have a 3000+ square-foot home and in extreme temperatures like 100+ degrees, my AC struggles just to keep it around 77°.
@@Dominus_Maximus Exactly I’m in Texas and set it to at least 80-86so it’ll shut off once in awhile.
@@edgarmezavids Same here. :)
On really hot days, if you have a ceiling fan, run it with the AC because it helps to circulate the cool air, and the AC unit doesn't have to work as hard. Same for the winter, run the ceiling fan. There is a setting for summer and winter on your fan. Units that have heat pumps should have a service call twice a year. Once before summer and once before winter. Even if you have AC and furnace, I would argue to check both twice a year. They are machines, so they will fail at some point. Always be proactive.
Anyway I got rid of all my AC by insulating my home well, close all windows during the day when it’s very hot. My basement is still very cool. But not everyone has this luxury though
ac units are narcissists!
How do we identify the faulty units? Look for the "MADE IN CHINA" warning label.
american built stuff can still use made in china parts like my moms stove says either made or assembled in USA while some of the parts are made in mexico and i think china
They've come out with a standard symbol for that now; A square symbol made of the letters U, K, C and A. It stands for _United Kingdom: Combustibility Assured,_ and indicates British standard product aimed primarily at the UK market. 📦🔥🙃
This can be prevented with regular yearly maintenance
And the lesser strain you put on the system in operation, the better. Why set it to 15°C (And get heat blast if you have to leave the house) if you're already comfortable enough at 25°C? 😇
Putting flammable gas into units instead of the R 32 is the problem.
Why? Do you think that oxygen free environment inside the hermetically sealed compressor is somehow catching fire?
@jeffclark5268 supposedly hermetically sealed, however if there is a leak... leaks happen.
R-32 is flammable
This is so sad. I can’t imagine losing all your memories like that. Life long Texan here and I’ve never seen that happen before. Just keep it clean of debris by jet spray/hosing the unit after mowing weekly(or at least once a month) while it’s working in hot temps, and get it serviced at least once a year by a reputable company and it’s not a likely issue at all.
As an American, I still can't understand why American homes are made of wood. Rest of the world uses steel and concrete. Americans will say, wood is cheaper. Mass produce steel and concrete, they'd get cheaper too.
Wood is renewable that is why
keep in mind the new refrigerant required by the EPA is highly flammable because its butane based, when an electrical problem occurs if exposed to one of the refrigerant lines there is a chance that it will light the refrigerant ablaze and spread inside of your house though the refrigerant lines or potentially explode like compressed gasoline, similar refrigerant is also inside of your car A/C system which is located above your feet in the front seat, so if an engine fire starts and you are unable to quickly get out your chances of survival are lower than what they used to be
Install a thermal regulator, To shut the unit down if it reaches high temps, There is all kinds of protection out there just have to talk to the right people.
What you describe is already built-in on all A/C unit from the factory. But some people might bypass it because they are upset that it shuts off when it overheats...
Sounds like a basic maintenance problem to me.
An AC unit setting your house on fire is ironic af 😂
Not quite! An A/C unit is a heat pump, so it _draws_ heat from one side of the system to the other. If it's drawing heat _out_ of the house and cold _in,_ the opposite end of the system (The external unit) is going to be doing the exact opposite. 🔥
I never swear the big F (I was bought up in the EU, so I use °C 😇) but if it's 120°F outdoors and you've got the A/C set to 50°F inside, your external unit is going to be several orders of magnitude hotter than Orlando Bloom... 🔥
You need to do more homework, ac with flammable refrigerants are coming 2025, thanks to epa
Simply stop being ungrateful with the AC, just keep it like at 75 and stop turning it on all of the time.
75? I turn mine on around 90
I think they meant to keep the thermostat at 75.
@@sonjastarr1364 Im speaking about the general audience not just the ones in the video, that’s the whole point of my comment, logically it’s something everyone should follow because what’s the need to have your house so cold that you need to use a big blanket rather than being more humbled. Especially on how much the average U.S household uses the ac and power, we are ungrateful in general.
Winter time I have my heat set at 48. Not paying those ridiculous gas prices.
@@joycedudzinski9415 I agree on that.
When you put a 30 amp ac on a 60 amp circuit it's gonna burn before tripping breaker
wait till you find out about MCA and MOCP
This is why you listen when we tell you to replace your contactor
And if people don't understand why; Tell them to search TH-cam for videos of arc-flash and lineside fires on British third-rail electrified railroads! 🚈⚡🔥👍
Never seen that before.
Haven't turn mine on this year. Tired of paying high prices for electricity. Bill was $85 for electricity and gas but add to amount about $30 in fees. $55 isn't bad.
Wish mine was _that_ cheap! I'm paying about £40,- ($60,-) a *month* because of our dodgy-as energy market...
$85? Must be nice. Mine is like $200 during the summer in Florida.
Wash it out pretty often when it’s not running or cutting the power off
The ac should smarter and stop automatically with just a temperature sensor
Is that unit installed by the fire department installed per manufactures instructions especially distance between home and unit and does the city have a minimum distance requirement between unit and house??
Well, don't use vinyl siding or wood siding and it won't catch on fire.
Americans ☕️
Always make sure your air conditioner does not have any over growth on it.
Fire alarm
🤣
I'm gonna bet fire risk is extremely low I've never seen it heard of AC units catching fire.
It's *very* rare to find air conditioning installed in any homes here in Britain. I wonder why?... ⚡💸🔥🤔
This will become more common when more flammable refrigerants get used, because of the EPA and you voting for those policies.
Good thing I have window units..which I prefer anyway over central. I always keep mine clean and in working order. Why are these people smiling and giggling over their house fire...lol
You should keep debris, bushes, and grass away from air conditioners so they can breathe. Air conditioner coils should be cleaned at least once a year. Compressors do have thermal protection, so they shouldn't catch fire, but don't depend on that. You should be fine if you're using appliance extension cords or extension cords with 14 or 12 AWG wire. Never use general extension cords with 16 AWG wire. Also, don't cover cords. All cords need to be exposed to air so any heat doesn't build up. Lamp cords, air conditioner cords, heater cords, whatever-- do not cover them. Plug the appliance extension cord directly to the wall outlet and the air conditioner cord into the appliance extension cord. Don't use splitters or powerstrips with high current appliances. Those are just made of plastic anymore even the premium ones. If they get hot, they just melt. It's not worth it.
I cut lawns for a living,and you should See the Jungle of dead Grass around the A/C units on some of these Houses I do…
Everything is a problem nowadays when will it all end
I should count myself lucky. My apartment building doesn’t have ac units. The warmest it gets here is around 78 F, and that’s on our hottest days. Plus it starts to cool down an hour or so before sunset.
An "electrical malfunction" like in their demo has nothing to do with overheating from blocked vents. Those are usually caused by seized bearings or other motor faults. How many of these are because some amateur tried to repair them? A properly-designed unit will blow protective devices or trigger cut-outs long before it gets to this point. Also blocked vents will just cause Freon pressure to rise to the point that the cut-outs will trip and turn off the compressor. Again, IF AND ONLY IF some amateur didn't get in there and replace parts improperly (or with cheap Chinesium replacements) or bypass the various cutouts.
I clean my system myself every 4 months. Where I live in, we need AC 11 months out of the year so gotta keep it updated.
Watching this while our AC here in Texas has been Nonstop for hours due to the extreme heat
Thank you ABC for this report
Bring peace of mind and fear to our warm souls
OH HELL YEAHH!!!
I’ve been doing air conditioning for 22 years and have never seen an AC fire. 99.9 percent of the times it trips the main breaker and shuts unit off. If your stealing electricity and bypass main buss bars then I could see this happening.
I told my wife i cleaned out, and around, the outside air conditioning unit and that is clean and safe and of course she said whats that????
This year through electronic appliance in summer on the day time I used electric appliances after eight o clock to morning eight o clock one two minutes then rest because it's temperature for summer or for cooking time fastest absorbed by summer ,it is helps to listen but it is fearful of what is happening if it is continuously switch on
Next year's problems slowly works on summer days surface of grounds to vehicles not reacted , Asia countries temperature is ,others are notified similarity already started or not yet
good morning
You may live in Seattle, without any air conditioning
we have a maintenance contract with our local heating and air company where they come out twice a year to service our units
when you put a 30 amp ac on a 6o amp breaker its gonna burn
Electronic nowadays low quality
Its the modern ones. The ones from the 50s no issues at all
All caused by ignorance and no maintenance
Wait for the A2L refrigerants to get instarted
AC condensers will not get hot enough to start a fire in most cases. Compressor motors and all fan motors should be individually protected with seperate supply circuits with appropriate breakers or fuses. GFI breakers give the best protection and minimize risk of igniting a fire. This is often not done because of cost. Obviously keeping combustables out of the compressor/condenser unit is a very good idea. 24 volt control wiring through out also helps reduce the fire risk. The control transformer needs both primary and secondary fuses.
Law suit ‼️‼️‼️
Posted on my Facebook page 👍
would be nice if reporter would explain why you close your door.
Having the door closed during a fire slows the spread of flames and reduces the amount of smoke filling up the room, giving you more time to escape.
The IRony
Check solar panel to see if solar panel near by , or Light , microwave. But there we live without civilization? 😅
Don't forget to mention the efficiency problem where loss of coolant will cause the unit to run excessively, while the condenser and tubing reach ignition temp due to high friction. This is also a common problem for refrigerators, and has caused fatal apartment fires.
Get a fire extinguisher rated for electricity and put some garden hose on the fire extinguisher and a bolt and silicone and a few bolt up clips.
Set the extinguisher next to what you want to protect.
Wrap hose around many times.
Tie off.
Activate extinguisher and hold trigger with 90 odd cable ties as they get weak in hot weather.
This fella will attack where it was heated first directly on the flames .
Yes garden hose can take a fair few bar.
I use it in engine bays for racers.
You can save your life too for about 50 dollars and build it yourself.
If you would like to see, I will make a video on it, comment yea or no to see how it happens.
Kind Regards
☕🗽🇺🇲😷
Sometimes they keep running so people don't notice until it's too late
What about AC units on roofs???
Ol mr.Drummond as
Rich people problems
Oh heavens to Betsy!
DO NOT SPRAY YOUR UNIT WITH A HOSE! Electrocution Hazard make sure power is off at breaker panel.
I'm a technician and I spray down units running all the time. As long as the control panel is closed you're fine. How else do these run in the rain without being electrified?
I can’t wait to vote for t.r.u.m.p
I won't be voting for him
just turn the A/C off every so often
I had no idea
you can use a short UL approved AC ext cord they make them the same guage wire as the ac unit it self and most are under 6 feet long but DONT use them with the cheap 2 prong ext cords that part is correct
For anything that draws a lot of current, the (British) guidance is to *never* use an extension cord in any circumstance. The length of the lead from the A/C unit isn't longer than it is for reasons to do with electrical resistance and heating therefrom, and the manufacturer puts in as long a lead as they safely can. 🔌🔥⚠
If the cord's too short to reach the nearest outlet, consult a qualified electrician. Bear in mind the lack of an outlet within A/C cable range of a given window might not be a matter of mere coincidence either, as there may be a reason for _why_ that specific window shouldn't have an A/C unit mounted into it. ☝
@@dieseldragon6756 as i stated here in the us were iam from they are permitted and in the directions the maker tells you if you must use one make sure its a certified UL listed ac ext cord or a microwave ext cord both work
um.. Life long Floridian. I've never heard of a condensing unit catching on fire, even with seized fan motors, seized compressors, even ones which were completely submerged in flood waters. What are you fools up north doing differently? Now, I have seen (personally) two air handlers which caught on fire due to aluminum wiring being used with loose connections and the amperage of the heat strips caused fires.
You're lucky to have Governor Rhonda Santis who rejects climate change and hates Disney World.
Don't forget; The air up north and west may be a lot drier and less humid than the air in Florida... 🏜
I never knew that could even happen. 1st time I ever heard of it.
EPA now requires flammable refrigerant. With all of the house fires and pollution, how green is this?
I store jerry cans of diesel and gasoline around my AC unit, along with used oil from car maintenance.
I like to put greasy rags on top that hot air dries them out. Then I can reuse them helps save the environment lol😄
@@KDogg-xy8zp I've added some aerosol cans & put a few propane tanks around the AC unit.
@@misterfunnybones A condensor doubles as a clothes dryer on those hot summer days. Stack 9 or 10 pairs of wet jeans on top of it while cooling your home. Win win 😆
I'm simply using a British made A/C unit. It's UKCA certified so already 750% flammable. No additional risk required! 🧯🇬🇧🔥😉
@@dieseldragon6756 if you stop maintaining it then you'll reach 1000% flammability. Just FYI... Something to shoot for.
The fire chiefs voice made me pregnant
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Not even ACs can save us from climate change😭
A/Cs simply shift the heat from inside to outside, and consume energy whilst doing it. It's one of the reasons why we tend not to have it in UK homes, given most of us will simply employ blinds/curtains and airflow to achieve the same thing. 👍
Air conditioners don’t catch fire. Nice try.
Refrigeration appliances do cause fires, and the fire will accelerate rapidly enough that you might not escape if it starts on the interior.
The "green" EPA required ones use Iso-Butane and Propane... all under high compression.
That means "boom" and fire.
I have one word for you here: _Grenfell._ ⚙🏢🔥
Caused by a defective fridge/freezer, which (From the engineering perspective) is identical to an A/C unit.
R-32 and R-454B refrigerant: Am I a joke to you?