As Pennsylvania prepares for extreme temperatures this week, many people may rely on self-installed ac units to keep cool.
However, authorities caution that improper installation and overuse can turn that cool breeze into a fire hazard.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, residential air conditioning fires average around 2300 incidents per year Nationwide, leading to injuries and property damage.
Luckily, there are some simple solutions.
In addition to closely following all installation instructions, Alpha Fire Company recommends always plugging your ac unit directly into a wall rather than using an extension cord or a power strip to avoid any potential electrical issues.
They also say to remove anything flammable from around the unit as they can get hot, and making sure both sides are clear.
“The air conditioning unit outputs air, it also intakes air, so we want to make sure nothing is blocking it on either side. Beyond that, we want to make sure that all of our vents are clean, all our filters are clean we don’t want anything to be blocking that as it will cause the unit to require more energy and pull more from the system.”
Alpha Fire also recommends to turn the unit off while you’re away, both to save your electric bill and prevent any damages caused by overuse.