Installing air-conditioner outdoor unit wrongly may lead to fatal accidents

Vikram Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 18

While most of the people have access to air conditioners in their homes, many do not follow its proper installation procedure, which lead to fatal accidents.

Many incidents have been reported in the past in Kathua and Jammu district where people have died due to electric shocks as the exhaust fan boxes are kept on rooftops of houses.

In the ensuing monsoon, while water gets accumulated on the rooftops immersing the exhaust fan box of the air conditioner, it turns fatal as any human contact with water can lead to fatal accident.

“In Kathua last year, a man was electriocuted as soon as he came in contact with water on the rooftop that had AC’s exhaust fan box immersed half length,” said Raman Kumar , a resident of Kathua.

In Jammu an incidence of death was reported under the same conditions. However, besides knowing of the dangerous repercussions, many residents do not seem to have learnt a lesson.

Rajinder Kumar, a resident of Rehari, who had the exhaust fan box installed on the rooftop of his house was unaware of such a risk.

“We had no place to install the box, so we placed the same on the rooftop. It is the duty of the mechanic to see where it has to be positioned,” said Rajinder.

A mechanic who installs air conditioners at Kachhi Chawni said since there are guidelines and the procedure to install the exhaust fan box, yet we have to follow the instructions of the buyer.

“There is generally two parts of the AC which include the indoor and outdoor unit. The outdoor unit (exhaust fan box) is put outside the room in an open space where the unit can be installed and maintained easily. Generally, it is hung on the outside wall or is placed at six inches pedestal to avoid contact with the roof,” said Abhijeet, a mechanic .