Delhi-NCR weathers rising AC fire incidents, short circuits. Read this to stay safe, alert

With the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi recording a peak power demand of 7,265 megawatts (MW) on May 19 — a record high for the month — it’s no rocket science to know that air conditioners are at full blast to counter the soaring heat and humidity. This spike in power usage, however, throws light on the serious concerns of short circuiting and AC-related fire accidents due to overheating and electrical faults.

If you notice sparks or a burning smell coming from your AC, switch off the MCB immediately and leave the room. – Atul Garg, director, DFS

Alarmed about the safety, during extreme heat, Vandit Madan, a marketing associate from Vivek Vihar shares how his family faced one such incident at his residence recently: “My air conditioner sparked all of a sudden and soon after there was a strong burning smell. Thankfully I was home and noticed it in time to turn off the MCB instantly, which averted the fire from burning the house down.”

According to Delhi Fire Service (DFS), around 140 calls per day are being received, this May, for fire-related issues in NCR. “We often receive calls about fire incidents during the summer months, including cases involving air conditioners,” says Atul Garg, director, DFS, adding, “In most AC-related fire cases, we’ve found the common causes to be either decayed internal wiring, a buildup of dust in the outdoor unit, and debris accumulating on filters and coils. If you notice sparks or a burning smell coming from your AC, switch off the MCB immediately and leave the room until a qualified technician arrives to inspect the unit.”

Some technicians suggest regular servicing of the ACs, but others say that it’s difficult to cater to everyone since demand is higher. “We’ve had to turn down some requests of servicing because we are overwhelmed with the number of calls we have received this month,” shares Ram Taneja, a technician from a Gurugram-based AC servicing centre, adding: “Especially in the last week, before it rained, it was very hot and people were after our lives to get their ACs serviced since sparking incidents ki news se kaafi log ghabraye huye thhe.”

Corrigendum: In an earlier version of the story a picture of a Mitsubishi AC on fire had been erroneously used. There is no evidence of Mitsubishi air conditioners having caught fire and the picture was only used for representational purposes. We sincerely regret the inadvertent error.