This appliance is sensitive to power surges and repairs can be very expensive or permanent.
A power outage hit the city of Buenos Aires on Wednesday, leaving thousands of users without power during the day. The outage, which affected several neighborhoods in the city and its suburbs, rekindled concerns about the impact of these events on household appliances.
Although many people think of the toaster or the microwave, there is one appliance in particular that should be unplugged during a power cut to avoid irreversible damage: the air conditioner.
Why do you have to turn off the air conditioner during a power outage?
The real problem with blackouts is not just the lack of power supply, but what happens when the power comes back on. In many cases, the restoration of service can generate voltage spikes, that is, sudden increases in voltage that can affect the integrity of electrical appliances.
Air conditioners are vulnerable to these fluctuations. Their compressor, one of the most expensive and fundamental parts of the equipment, can be damaged if it receives a voltage surge when the electricity comes back on. In some cases, this can result in permanent failures or even the need to replace the entire outdoor equipment.
Although some more modern models have protection systems that delay start-up after a power cut, not all air conditioners have this function. Therefore, the best way to avoid problems is to unplug it as soon as the power goes out and wait a few minutes after the service is restored before plugging it back in.
How to protect other appliances during power outages
- Use voltage stabilizers: these are devices that regulate voltage and protect appliances from sudden variations.
- Unplug sensitive appliances: televisions, computers and refrigerators can be affected by voltage spikes. It is best to disconnect them until the power stabilizes.
- Wait before turning the equipment back on: once the power returns, it is advisable to wait a few minutes before reconnecting the appliances to make sure that the voltage has returned to normal.
