With the months ahead set to get hotter and drier, many household are turning up their air conditioners to beat the heat. But fires sparked by air conditioners are most prevalent in the household, more than other electrical appliances.

Various part of the air conditioning system can catch fire, but most cases involve the condensing unit - which is outside a home and the fan coil unit, which is found indoors.

The root cause of fires in the fan coil unit is when two separate electrical wires are twisted together and insulated with tape, instead of using a single, continuous electrical cable. Errant electricians do this to save cost,neglecting that it has the propensity to cause significant property damage and putting young children and infants at higher risk.

WAY FORWARD

1. Ensure you employ the services of a well trained electrician to do your installations;
2. Use standard electrical wires with the correct ratings for the power output of the unit.
3. Make sure you properly switch off the unit from the wall socket before leaving home and not put it in standby mode as this allow small current to flow through the system which has the capacity to start a fire;
4. Clean the unit regularly to prevent the accumulation of dust;
5. Do not install your unit close to curtains has this can assist in the spread of fire to other items in the household;
6. Have at least one portable ABC fire extinguisher in the home and know how to use it;
7. Install smoke detectors in your homes;
8. Practice family fire and evacuation drills regularly.