Is your air conditioner ready for the dust storms, torrential downpours, thunder and lightning that is monsoon season? When an air conditioning system stops working during an Arizona summer, it is the worst and it can be very costly to repair or replace. Preventative maintenance is key to keeping you cool in the hot summer months.
“We live in an area where the nature is acute all the time, so we are always susceptible to failures,” said Erik Bryan, owner of Precision Air and Heating. “When you add a monsoon, it just amplifies the fact we are in a critical climate in the desert.”
Monsoons are a fact of life in the valley, but they do not have to be disastrous. The biggest threat to an air conditioning unit during monsoon season, according to Bryan, is the humidity and electrical surges from the lightning. Make sure your central air conditioner is protected from those strikes and power surges with a surge protector to stay safe and cool during the season. A surge protector for an air conditioner can be insurance for your unit.
Lightning does not have to hit a home directly to cause a power surge. A lightning strike within a half-mile of a home can damage the air conditioner. Each strike delivers up to 20,000 volts of electricity through a home, which is more than enough to take out a central air unit.
“We use power strips at home for our computers to prevent a spike of electricity from damaging components inside,” Bryan said. “An air conditioner is no different.”
It can be crucial for those living in the valley to make sure that their systems are protected from the monsoons that flow into Arizona, but do not forget about making sure everything is running smoothly with your heater when the cooler months arrive.
Preventative maintenance is still essential, but a much bigger concern exists for people who have gas heat to make sure everything is checked so there are no leaks.
“Carbon monoxide asphyxiation is a very very real thing, it is a silent killer. We lose people ever year who turn their heaters on without getting them checked,” stated Bryan.
If the temperature is not just right, being comfortable is very out of reach. Air conditioning is one thing you should not take your chances with, so do not let monsoon season get in the way.
