It was towards the end of the evening when our AC system exploded, or at least it sounded like an explosion.
- For a brief moment when observing the AC condenser unit from a distance, I saw smoke followed by a hint of a flame, but I wasn’t certain if it really was on fire.
Still, I got my fire extinguisher and sprayed it to make sure there was no fire and I immediately got on the phone with my local HVAC company. Neighbors asked if we were alright and we were talking about what could have happened. When the HVAC professional arrived, he seemed very cool and collected. He worked calmly checking all the connections to the AC condenser unit. He observed that it was clogged up pretty badly. He suspected the indoor HVAC unit would be similar and he was right. Even the air filter was clogged and I was embarrassed about that. He remained entirely calm and didn’t talk to me rudely. He simply explained how the HVAC system has to have a certain flow of air pressure to operate as it is meant to. He said if the airflow is obstructed by a clogged air filter and a clogged condenser unit, you can expect trouble. He said this was what happened with my system which overheated inevitably and it came to a violent end with smoking and flames. He said the AC condenser had to be replaced which was expensive, but he gave us some good news. He said since he had the replacement unit already in his truck, he wasn’t going to charge me for emergency services, which was a huge relief!