Consumers partly to blame for AC blasts, experts say

FE Team | Published: November 10, 2020 00:27:37

In January this year, Swapnil Ahmed Pias, the son of journalist Moazzem Hossain Nannu, died after a similar blast in his room triggered a fire, reports bdnews24.com.
Dr Samanta Lal Sen, the coordinator of Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, said they have treated many patients with burn injuries inflicted by the AC blasts in past few years and the number of such cases is rising.
The consumers are partly responsible for the blasts as many of them do not care about the routine maintenance of the ACs, according to experts.
The manufacturers also lack monitoring in quality control, which sometimes lead to accidents.
The use of faulty wires, substandard ACs made by untrusted brands, and keeping the air-conditioners on for long without disruption are some of the reasons that caused the explosions, said Lt Col Zillur Rahman, the director of operations and maintenance at the Fire Service and Civil Defence.
The wiring systems in most of the buildings in Bangladesh that were made in the 1980s are not suitable for ACs made with modern technology. Faults in the wires can cause short-circuits and explosions, Zillur explained.
Air-conditioners made with fake and faulty components can also cause them to explode.
People keep the ACs off for a long time in winter, but do not check for issues before turning them on when spring arrives.
The refrigerant gas in an AC compressor can create bubble and the pipes can get clogged by lubricants when the air-conditioners are not used for a long time, said Professor Aloke Kumar Mozumder of the BUET's mechanical engineering department.
Alamgir Bhuiyan and Bilkis Baby, a couple who lived in Dhaka's Uttara, died after the air-conditioner at their home exploded in March 2019.
In January this year, Swapnil Ahmed Pias, the son of journalist Moazzem Hossain Nannu, died after a similar blast in his room triggered a fire.
Dr Samanta Lal Sen, the coordinator of Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, said they have treated many patients with burn injuries inflicted by the AC blasts in past few years and the number of such cases is rising.
The consumers are partly responsible for the blasts as many of them do not care about the routine maintenance of the ACs, according to experts.
The manufacturers also lack monitoring in quality control, which sometimes lead to accidents.
The use of faulty wires, substandard ACs made by untrusted brands, and keeping the air-conditioners on for long without disruption are some of the reasons that caused the explosions, said Lt Col Zillur Rahman, the director of operations and maintenance at the Fire Service and Civil Defence.
The wiring systems in most of the buildings in Bangladesh that were made in the 1980s are not suitable for ACs made with modern technology. Faults in the wires can cause short-circuits and explosions, Zillur explained.
Air-conditioners made with fake and faulty components can also cause them to explode.
People keep the ACs off for a long time in winter, but do not check for issues before turning them on when spring arrives.
The refrigerant gas in an AC compressor can create bubble and the pipes can get clogged by lubricants when the air-conditioners are not used for a long time, said Professor Aloke Kumar Mozumder of the BUET's mechanical engineering department.
"A sudden pressure is created when you turn the AC on. The flammable refrigerant gas can spark in the clogged compressor pipes and cause blast at that time," he said, emphasising regular maintenance.
He also said the wires and switches used to connect ACs should be of good quality because they can cause electrical short-circuit due to excessive heat produced by high voltage.
Professor Aloke believes the companies, technicians and the regulators also have responsibilities.
The government should monitor whether the manufacturers are using the proper materials to make ACs, he said.
Sajjadul Bari, the director of certification marks at the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution, said the government has made quality control mandatory for AC manufacturing.