What happens if lightning strikes an air conditioner

Lightning strikes carry an immense amount of energy, easily in the billion-Joules range. The electrical service drop atop your roof can act as a lightning rod, transferring this energy throughout the wires in your home and frying anything currently connected to it. The short answer is no, surge protectors cannot help. Be Able to Tell…. Watch The Webinar. All rights reserved. Login Submit A Claim.

Plus the summer thunderstorm and hurricane season officially begins. Over the next weeks we call summer, we will see many serious thunderstorms roll through the city and like every other year, we will be flooded with AC Repair calls from concerned homeowners when their home air conditioning system stops working after a storm passes their home.

In this article, we wanted to cover a few safety precautions you can take, as well as a few quick things to check before you call us for AC Repair. The first thing we suggest you do, is document the storm and all possible damage for insurance purposes.

You will want to get a note paper and write down the date and time of the possible lightning strike, as well as your recollection of what happened. If you have a small video camera, like a flip camera, that can come in handy as well. While this may sound trivial, it can be important for insurance adjusters to have when they review your claim. The bigger danger comes from power surges caused by lightning striking your home or near your home.

Power surges from lightning strikes can send a huge spike in voltage through your home's electrical system before your circuit breaker trips. Any appliances running at the time of that power surge including your AC could be damaged beyond repair. In some cases, the control panel can be replaced, but if the damage is extensive, you will need to purchase an entirely new unit. Some damage is not as immediately apparent but makes itself known over time, such as damage to the capacitor or compressor.