They were expecting their air conditioners to cool them off. Instead, they started a fire.Although fire departments do not specifically track such incidents, Palm Beach County firefighters have already extinguished at least three such blazes in the last six months, said Cpt. Doug McGlynn of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue.The culprit in each case was a leaking air handler in a condo storage closet, which short-circuited electrical equipment underneath.With South Florida now at its hottest, the risk of such fires is at its peak, experts say. Since January 2011, 215 fires in Florida were related to air conditioners, the state Fire Marshal reported. But it's a problem easily avoided by keeping drain lines unclogged and having units maintained."I would say most people do not properly maintain their AC drain line," McGlynn said. "It's 100 percent the homeowner's responsibility."The three condo fires McGlynn knew of — two at Kings Point, west of Delray Beach, and one at Palm Isles, west of Boynton Beach — were small and no one was injured.

Smoke detectors alerted the residents early.In each case, the drain line became clogged and a drainage pan overflowed."With the summer, and people keeping their AC units running more often, it's very common that if you don't properly maintain your drain line" it can overflow, McGlynn said.Usually the result is a wet floor. But in many condos, to save space, the water heater is underneath the air conditioning unit. When water dripped, it shorted the heater and sparked, igniting insulation and items stored in the closet.The precautions homeowners can take are simple.When an air conditioner turns hot air cold, the moisture condenses and drains outside. Pouring diluted bleach into the pipes can prevent algae from clogging them.McGlynn recommended having air conditioners checked out twice a year and keeping combustibles, such as broomsticks or paper products, out of the utility closet. He said residents should maintain working smoke detectors.Some units have floater switches that prevent drainage pans from overflowing by killing the power when the water level rises.

Richard Gathright, who heads the Palm Beach County Building Division, said regulations prevent air conditioners from being installed in bathrooms, for example, but not above water heaters."how big of an ac unit do i need for 3000 sq ftThese apartments are not very large, and with these closets, it's either going to be with the washer/dryer or the water heater," he said.copper from ac unitSome complexes insist on replacing their air conditioning systems to avoid problems. polar ac unitAl Smith, property manager at Century Village in Deerfield Beach, said they've recently installed new units that are virtually incombustable, and Palm Isles West, outside Boynton Beach, has done the same."They only last 10 years, then you're supposed to replace them," said Donald Mylan, president of the Palm Isles West homeowners association.

"We haven't had any troubles.", 561-243-6602 or Twitter @benwolford Can Bosh, Wade break out of their funk?Do nicknames on jerseys go against Heat "sacrifice" mantra?Does Wade retain edge on Stephenson?Do Heat appreciate magnitude of Game 5?Could Heat find value in NBA free agency?Would Heat give Peace a chance?What is the water that comes out of an AC unit?There are times when we have noticed water around the base of the airThe bet is that most of us do not bother about this typeWe consider it quite normal. But it is not so. conditioners should not leak water. If they do, it means that there is a block in the drain pipe or there is a permanent clog that has stoppedReasons for water leakage 1. The drain line needs cleaning: When your periodic cleaning takes place, the drain pipes may be left clogged a little. Over a period of time, this clog becomes bigger and bigger and finally results in a complete drain pipe block. Ensure that this does notThe remedy is to use the pills available for dissolving particulate

These pills are usually put in the pan under the frame. You could also use a 50/50 water bleach solution to prevent dust and2. Air conditioner tubes may be leaking: Air conditioners have tubes that tend to leak. The water puddle you find under or around the air conditioner may be due to a simple leakage inIf you find a tube leakage, replace the leaking tube with another one. 3. The condensate pump may not be working properly: To detect any error in the pump, you need to pour water into the pump and check if it begins working. If the condensate pump does not start up, there could be a block in the electrical power or the pump is noIt is better to call over an electrician than meddle with the electrical connections. 4. Improper installation: Incorrect installation can also cause water leakage or accumulation around your air conditioner.You need to ensure that while installing, your technician places the window unit in such a way that the rear side of the unit is slightly

lower than the front. This ensures proper water drainage, which in turn results in no leakage. 5. Ice formation: Water that is de-humidified can crystallize into ice if your air conditioner ran into a problem. check for ice formation by removing the front grille, but only when the air conditioner is running. If you see ice present on the cooling coils, the water leakage could be from this ice. You will need to call the technician to clean up your machine.6. Water pool around the air conditioner in the morning: Usually, this occurs when you are nearing the end of the coolingIt is seen that when the temperature outside drops below 60°F during the night, the cooling coil within the air conditioner may iceSelecting the fan mode alternatively can help in preventing this type of leakage. Sealing the tubes can be done by reinsulation of the air conditioner. You could try to fix this problem by cutting the line near the drain pan and blowing it to remove clogged matter.