The Window Unit Air Conditioner

Victoria Meade • Aug 13, 2020

The Window Unit Air Conditioner – Some things you should know

It’s officially summertime in South Texas, and more than likely that means it’s hot as blazes!

It sure seems that way anyhow!

Regardless, the temperatures are rising here in San Antonio, which has us all looking for ways to stay cool. In recent months, we’ve had many customers expressed interest in AC Window Unit installations.

What with all of the Home Offices, Man Caves, She Sheds, and Mother-in-Law Suites becoming the new best thing, a window unit air conditioner is a great option for these smaller dwellings to keep cool throughout the hotter months.

Now, while these appliances do provide some much needed relief from the South Texas heat, they also present some electrical safety issues as well.

Below; are a few good things you should know when installing or even merely operating a window AC unit.

1) First Rule of thumb, these units should NEVER be run on extension cords. If for any reason you would need to use an extension cord, make sure it’s only a temporary fix, and make sure to use a larger gauged wire extension cord; than the cord on the AC unit, itself. …And please remember…this is for temporary use ONLY!

2) Most AC Window units of today are run on either a 15 or 20 amp circuit, and usually an Electrician will place your unit on its own dedicated circuit. This will ensure that your unit will function properly; as these units do resource a lot of power to function.

You will also require a receptacle for this, so your unit can plug in to obtain power. You’ll want to have a qualified licensed electrician to come out and perform an eyes on estimate, to be assured you have the necessary room in your service panel for a dedicated circuit, and for placement of the unit as well as the outlet.

It’s also best to make certain that you check the amperage on your new Window Unit; as well as the manufactures guidelines for safety before using, and you should ALWAYS be careful plugging these things in to just any outlet! That in and of itself will ultimately assist in avoiding overloading the circuit breaker you’re plugging into.

And always remember, it’s never recommended to run more than one AC unit on the same circuit.

3) If you just aren’t sure if your AC Window Unit is too much for the circuit, check the cord and the outlet it’s plugged into. If they are warm when you touch them, then you are at risk of an overload. If they feel HOT to the touch, then you are already overloading some part of the circuit or quite possibly; the conductors. Another really good indication of an overloaded circuit; are dimming or flickering lights and power outages related to the AC coming on or turning off.

4) Plug adapters. These are those small 2 prong plug ends that allow you to plug anything with 3-prongs into an non-grounded

2-prong receptacle/ outlet. We recommend not even attempting to use this method to plug your unit in. Not even temporarily. There is a very good reason why these units have a ground prong on the cord.

5) Knob & Tube Wiring. There are still many homes here in South Texas with this type of wiring. This type of Panel Service wiring is not grounded and presents a significant fire hazard. These older type of circuits were never designed to have high demand appliance loads on them. It is never a good idea to use a window AC on a knob and tube circuit, as overloading this system could potentially cause a fire.

The folks at Bolt Electric are well versed in running dedicated circuits for many of

the high demand appliances in your Residential Dwelling.

If you’re needing assistance with adding a Window Unit Air Conditioner, or perhaps a few new outlets, or quite possibly require attention for upgrading or replacing your service panels, we can assist with that as well.

Call our offices for more information regarding an estimate. 210-545-BOLT (2658).

We can’t wait to work with you!

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