How do I Shut Off an AC Unit During a Fire Alarm?

The last thing you would probably think of during a fire alarm inside your home is to shut off the AC unit; your instincts tell you to evacuate immediately from the premise and alert emergency first responders in a fire. However, if you have an older fire alarm system that does not control your AC unit in the event of an emergency, and the fire or smoke inside your home is not life threatening, you may consider shutting off your AC unit to prevent the rapid spread of fire in your home.

Instructions

• 1

  Locate the air-conditioning thermostat in your home.

• 2

  Switch the air-conditioning unit fan to the "Auto" position. Raise the temperature of the thermostat to the highest possible temperature. Turn the thermostat setting from "A/C" to "Off." Listen to make sure that thermostat clicks off, and that air is no longer coming from your vents. Changing the thermostat to shut off the air-conditioning unit will prevent a short when you flip the circuit breaker controlling the unit.

• 3

  Locate the circuit breaker box in your home. Open the box lid and locate the breaker that controls the air-conditioning unit. Flip the breaker to the "Off" position to ensure that the air-conditioning unit does not cycle on during the fire alarm.

• 4

  Locate the outside breaker box to the home. After you are sure that the home is completely evacuated, flip the main breaker to the "Off" position.