Update 4 Jan 2022: Explosion from air-con compressor heard in Hougang, 30 people evacuated from fire
30 people had to be evacuated after a fire broke out in Hougang on Monday (Jan 3) night.
The origin of the fire reportedly came from an air-conditioner compressor outside a senior activity centre along Hougang Avenue 3, according to Lianhe Zaobao.
Speaking to the Chinese daily, a resident said that the senior activity centre was closed prior to the incident. His brother immediately called the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) after hearing an explosion and experiencing a wave of heat.
Fire involving air-conditioner breaks out at Woodlands HDB flat, explosions heard
A Woodlands HDB flat resident came face to face with a raging fire after hearing a series of explosions coming from one of their bedrooms.
The fire, which occurred at Block 842 Woodlands Street 82 on Monday (Sep 23), saw two people declining to be taken to a hospital.
Lianhe Wanbao reported that the fire involved an air-conditioner unit in the bedroom.
What Causes Fire in an Air Conditioner?
In addition to posing a threat to your life and those of your family members, a house fire can leave you in financial ruin and destroy irreplaceable items such as family photos and keepsakes. A faulty air-conditioning system places you at risk of just such an occurrence. The National Fire Protection Association estimates that from 2005 through 2009, over 2,300 house fires were caused by air conditioning systems. Over this four-year period, only two people were killed by air conditioning fires, but 99 were wounded. Property owners suffered approximately $53 million in damages.
Most air conditioning fires are caused by a short circuit in the wiring that causes the appliance to overheat and subsequently ignite. Frequent power surges or fluctuation in the amount of voltage the air conditioner receives can also overheat the unit. Portable air conditioning units are a greater fire risk than stationary units or central air. These units are typically smaller than their permanent counterparts – making it more difficult for the unit to keep up with cooling demands. The longer the air conditioner runs, the more likely it is to overheat or suffer a mechanical failure that ultimately causes a fire.
Routinely maintaining your air conditioning unit and having it inspected at least every 12 months will help you catch problems with the unit before those problems result in a house fire.
Common Causes Of Air Conditioner Fires
Most property owners would not feel comfortable in their interiors without air conditioning. You need it to generate just the right of cold or warmth to keep your interiors within the ideal temperatures. Even so, air conditioners are among the leading causes of property fires.
They account for the ignition of approximately 2800 fires annually. This is only about 2% of property fires, but it is still a devastating statistic. Professional air duct cleaning for your Reno property might not seem like much towards the safety of your property from fires. For most people, in fact, this sounds like a waste of their precious cash. Even so, air duct cleaning by professionals can save you thousands of dollars’ worth of fire damage to your property. Moreover, with a report on your property’s duct cleaning, you have more proof of your contribution to fire damage protection and are thus better-placed to win compensation for a property fire.
The following are the common causes of air conditioner fires:
- Storage of Flammables Near Air Conditioners
- Dirty Air Conditioners
- Electrical Issues
- Overheating
Your Air Conditioner is Actually a Major Fire Hazard
Linked to a number of deaths, triple-figure injuries and hundreds of millions in property damage, fires caused by air conditioners (ACs) are more common than previously thought. In 2010 alone, roughly 7,400 fires were the result of the operation of faulty air conditioning systems. According to experts, window air conditioning units are often the culprit of these fires, with some studies suggesting that they are 1.8 times more likely to cause a house fire than their central AC unit counterparts.
According to research, these AC unit fires can be caused by some of the following:
- Maintenance/Cleaning
- Size
- Flammables
- Equipment and Parts
- Faulty Wiring
- Installation
Poor install makes ac biggest fire risk
Air conditioning units are reported to pose a greater fire risk than any other common household appliance in Singapore
A new report from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) says that its fire-fighters, rescue and emergency medical services deal with about 2-3 cases per month. In 2014, there were 29 reported cases. Poor installation and bad wiring practices are said to be major contributory factors. The SCDF maintains that proper installation of the air conditioning system is the critical first step in the prevention of fires.
A prominent root cause of the fires is blamed on the use of intermediate connections, by means of twisting wires together and insulating them with electrical tape, within the fan coil unit. Such a technique for creating an electrical splice is said to be widely practised in Singapore but can be problematic especially when it is applied in FCUs.
Described as a flagrant violation of both regulation and good sense, the SCDF says the use of such splices in FCUs may greatly heighten fire risk, particularly when water from condensation is involved.
Experts warn rising temperatures can turn air conditioners into fire hazards
Fire officials say proper unit maintenance is the key to preventing fires
The appliance many people rely on to keep their homes cool could potentially pose a fire risk. Air conditioners cause an average of 20 deaths, 140 injuries, and $82 million in property damage annually, according to a 2016 report by the National Fire Protection Association.
Experts warn that rising temperatures can strain air conditioning units and, if they are not properly maintained, can turn them into fire hazards. "If they are overworked and overheated or there are some electrical issues, it can catch nearby combustibles on fire," Pete Piringer, chief spokesperson for the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service in Maryland, told ABC's "Good Morning America."
But fires can be prevented through proper maintenance, Piringer said. Changing the filter and ensuring adequate power supply to the unit are two safety measures that can help avoid potential problems. Avoiding the use of extension cords or power strips is also important, he said. "When you start using extension cords, it can be problematic," Piringer said. "They can overheat and start a fire."
FIRE STATISTICS AND STUDY ON AIR CONDITIONING FIRES
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 921
Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations cited several possibilities for the cause of air con fires:
- Dust or contamination in the airflow path can settle over electrical components and cause tracking faults leading to a high-resistance fault that could ignite nearby combustibles.
- Excessive temperature rise may also occur in compressor and fan motors due to bearing friction, increase in load of capacitor degradation.
- Motor capacitors can develop internal resistance over time and cause sufficient
- heating to self ignite if encased in plastic.
- One prominent cause of FCU fires seen in Singapore is the use of intermediate connections.
- (e.g twisting wires together & insulating them with electrical tape).
- By applying such a technique – can be problematic in FCUs
Fires Involving Air Conditioning Fan Coil Units
Fires originating from the FCU
Key Findings:
- Air conditioning (A/C) fires are most prevalent among the common electrical household appliances in Singapore with about 2 – 3 cases per month.
- Various parts of the A/C system can catch fire but fires involving the Condensing Unit (CU) and Fan Coil Unit (FCU) account for most of these fires.
- Fires involving the CU are all localised but over a quarter of all fires involving the FCU resulted in secondary fires, causing more damage to the premises.
- Over a quarter of all the FCU fires came about when the FCU was not in use, but on standby mode.
- The use of intermediate connections, by means of twisting electrical wirings together and insulating them with electrical tape, within the FCU was found to be 1 root cause of the FCU fires.
Air Conditioners Information
Air conditioners (also referred to as AC) provide thermal and humidity management in spaces, such as industrial facilities and data centers, where temperature and humidity control is necessary. They can be used to supplement HVAC systems, supplying spot or space cooling if existing HVAC is inadequate, or to provide air temperature and humidity control where HVAC is unavailable.
Air conditioners chill air by passing indoor air over evaporator coils, returning the chilled air to the room and exhausting the heat removed to the outside.
The components of an air conditioner include:
- Evaporator coils are filled with a refrigerant that changes phase from liquid to gas as warm air passes over them.
- A fan or blower returns cooled air to the room.
- A compressor moves the heated gas to the condenser coils, which condense the refrigerant from gas to liquid.
- A fan pushes warm air out the exhaust.
4 totally unexpected (and deadly) home fire hazards
When you buy a home appliance, you’d have some basic expectations about it. You’d expect air-conditioners to cool the air, and water heaters to give you a nice warm shower. Sure, they might malfunction, but what you probably don’t expect is for these sleek-looking appliances to become potentially deadly.
Here’s what these unexpected home fire hazards are and the steps you can take to keep you and your family safe.
Home fire hazard:
- Air-conditioner
- Garbage chute
- Washing machine
- Water heater
Five common appliances that cause house fires
Our homes today are filled with electronics and appliances that make our lives easier and provide us with entertainment. DVD players, big screen TVs, video game systems, and cable/satellite TV boxes overload our electrical outlets and fill up our entertainment centers.
If you bought a new appliance lately, you'll see that technology has changed them, as well. Our new washer and dryer consists of a few buttons and touch screens. While the touch screens look cool, there's more circuitry in them, which could lead to a fire. According to the National Fire Protection Agency(NFPA), 501,500 structure fires were reported in the U.S. in 2015. These fires resulted in 2,685 deaths, 13,000 injuries, and $10.3 billion in property damage; $7 billion in property losses were caused by home fires. Based on these statistics, a fire was reported every 63 seconds.
Here's a list of common appliances and how they can be start fires in your home:
- Dishwashers
- Dryers
- Microwaves
- Refrigerators
- Toasters
What causes Refrigerator fires?
Fridge causes fire at Upper Serangoon Crescent condo
About 25 people were evacuated after a fire broke out in a unit at the Riversails condominium at Upper Serangoon Crescent on Tuesday evening (Apr 13).
A Stomper alerted Stomp to the incident and shared a video of smoke rising from the affected unit. In response to a Stomp query, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to a fire at 4 Upper Serangoon Crescent at 6.40pm.
"The fire, which involved a fridge in the kitchen of a unit on the sixth floor, was extinguished by members of the public using a hosereel and a fire extinguisher prior to SCDF's arrival," an SCDF spokesman said.
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