Air conditioner with automatic shutdown

An air conditioning system subject to undesirable water leakage due to drain line stoppage, and/or drain pan corrosion and cracking, and/or melting of ice formed because of icing of evaporating coils, and/or water wicking by cabinet insulation, and/or sweating of a cabinet housing, said air conditioning system comprising, in combination,

• an air conditioner, an electric circuit, said circuit including a source of laternating current, a thermostat control means for selectively operating said air conditioner;
• a relay including a normally closed relay switch in the circuit to said thermostat control means, a normally open relay switch constructed and arranged to be open when said normally closed relay switch is closed and to be closed when said normally closed relay switch is open, and energizable coil means coupled to said normally closed relay switch and to said normally open relay switch to open said normally closed relay switch and simultaneously close said normally open relay switch when energized, said energizable coil means cooperating with said normally open relay switch when the latter is closed to retain said normally closed relay switch open and said normally open relay switch closed as long as said energizable coil means remains energized from said energization;
• at least one water sensing means constructed and arranged for placement in a location likely to contain water due to said undesirable water leakage, said water sensing means permitting flow of alternating current when wet and inhibiting flow of alternating current when dry;
• means between said source of alternating current and said energizable coil means for selectively permitting and inhibiting flow of alternating current to said energizable coil means, said means for selectively permitting and inhibiting flow of alternating current to said energizable coil means being responsive to said electric current from said water sensing means, whereby flow of said electric current to said means for inhibiting flow of alternating current to said energizable coil means permits flow of current from said source of alternating current to said energizable coil means to energize said coil means for opening said normally closed relay switch and closing said normally open relay switch to automatically shut down said air conditioner and to retain said normally closed relay switch open and said normally open relay switch closed as long as said coil means remains energized, and
• a manually operated override switch for de-energizing said energizable coil means to cause said normally open relay switch to resume its normally open position and said normally closed relay switch to resume its normally closed position to enable current to resume to said air conditioner via said thermostat control means when said override switch is manually operated.