Power Outages Can Be Hard on Air Conditioners

In 2011, when temperatures hit the triple-digits for weeks on end and electrical usage spiked throughout the Houston area, CenterPoint implemented rolling blackouts to prevent an overload of its electrical grid. Those neighborhoods in The Woodlands served by CenterPoint are tied to this grid. Consequently residents were hit with rolling blackouts on a frequent basis. The following summer, temperatures were less extreme but a secondary problem caused by the previous year's drought led to still more power outages. The drought had killed hundred of trees, which were now dropping limbs on or toppling over onto the power lines themselves. According to the Houston Chronicle's September 13, 2012 article, "Power Line Issues Still Persist for Residents," CenterPoint had to cut down over twenty-three thousand dead or hazardous trees system-wide; eight hundred of those trees were in The Woodlands.

The older Woodlands neighborhoods (such as those located in Grogan's Mill and Panther Creek) were, for the most part, spared these problems. Served by Entergy, they are on a different electrical grid than the newer neighborhoods and are less affected by heavy usage in the Houston area. Furthermore, these older neighborhoods were developed back in the days when most of the power lines in The Woodlands were buried underground. To cut costs and expedite later development in the western portion of The Woodlands, power lines outside of immediate residential areas were run overhead. Had they been run along major roadways, the trees growing alongside them could have been trimmed on a regular basis. However, for aesthetic reasons, many of the overhead lines were run through the forest where they are not readily accessible by road. According to the Houston Chronicle article, this made it difficult for "employees to quickly locate a fallen tree or limb that has downed a line."

On August 21, 2012, The Woodlands Villager Online reported that Sterling Ridge Village Association had hosted an August 20th meeting in which CenterPoint Energy Officials addressed these issues with a standing room only crowd. CenterPoint officials said they will draft a plan of action which may include burying aboveground distribution lines. The cost of burying the lines may show up as an increase in the fees or energy prices in residents' electric bills.

What does any of this have to do with your air conditioner? Power outages or, rather, the sudden restoration of power (often accompanied by a power surge) can be hard on all electronics in your home. Many residents have had to replace electronics or appliances damaged by the stress of frequent power outages. In the case of air conditioners, a power surge can blow a capacitor or damage the circuit board. If you are home when the power goes out, it's a good idea to shut off your air conditioner at the thermostat until after power has been restored. While this will not absolutely protect your equipment from a power surge, it substantially reduces the risk of damage.

If it's not a drought putting your air conditioner and other appliances at risk, it's the thunderstorms. After Florida, Texas is the number two state in the country for the most cloud to ground lightning strikes. A power surge from one of these strikes can fry your air conditioner unit's capacitor, effectively shutting down your system. And that's if your lucky. Less commonly, a lightning strike destroy your cooling and heating system's circuitboard (located inside your furnace or air handler) or, even worse, can cause your condenser unit to go to ground. Capacitor damage is the most common (and fortunately the least expensive to repair) outcome of a power surge. If you are home during a major thunderstorm, you can generallly avoid damage to your ac system by shutting your air conditioner off until the storm has passed.