Is your Air Conditioner making you Sick?

There are few things more satisfying then walking from a 40+ degree day into an air-conditioned home, but could that air-conditioner be making you and your family sick?

Signs and Symptoms that your air-conditioner may be making you sick:

• Breathing issues
• Dry Skin
• Dry Eyes
• Dehydration
• Frequent common colds
• Headaches

If you are struggling with some of the issues listed above, you may be showing symptoms of exposure to poorly maintained air-conditioning. Don’t be alarmed, this is quite a common occurrence in many homes and once the cause is identified, it can easily be fixed.

 

Four reasons your air-conditioner may be making you sick:

• Microbial contamination – this is the presence of microbes such as bacteria, yeast, mould and fungi that can build up inside of the indoor system of your air-conditioner.
• Temperature setting too low – running your cooling system too cold can remove moisture from your body causing dry, irritated skin and aggravate the protective mucus lining from your nasal and throat.
• Unclean air-conditioning at hired accommodation – with the huge amount of different people that stay in these complexes, it increases the variety of different mould and bacteria that grows inside of the refrigeration system.
• Recirculation of air born infections – we all know kids can be a ball of germs on a good day. Now put 20+ kids into a classroom that has its air recirculated constantly by the air conditioner… the outcome is not good.

Now, let’s take a deeper look into exactly how these four possible reasons may make you ill and what you can do to prevent them.

 

Microbial Contamination:

The main concern with indoor air conditioning systems is that they need to be well maintained to reduce the risk of microbial contamination. This form of contamination occurs when microbes such as bacteria, yeast, mould and fungi build up inside of the indoor system. Temperatures, moisture levels and micro partials being caught inside of your air conditioner creates a perfect environment for contaminates to grow and thrive. These partials and fungi spores can be carried throughout your home by the air flow from your air conditioner which can have a negative impact on yours and your family’s health.

How to prevent Microbial Contamination:

Bacterial and fungal growth are optimal between 20° – 30° and this is exactly the temperatures most of us will run our home air conditioners. Because of this, we recommend that you have your air conditioning unit inspected and cleaned by a qualified technician at least every 12 months.

Temperature setting too low:

Running your air conditioner at too low of a temperature may remove the moisture from your body. This may result in dry, irritated skin and the aggravation of the protective mucus lining from your nasal and throat. Due to mucus lining being one of the body’s first line of defence, if it is reduced, you can become more susceptible to air born contamination if they are present.

Tips on running your air conditioner at low temperatures:

If you are someone who feels the heat and loves to have their cooling system running on high at all times. We recommend that you drink plenty of water and keep your body hydrated, keeping well hydrated may help alleviate some of the symptoms listed above.

 

Unclean air-conditioning at hired accommodation:

Do you frequent motels & hotels? With the huge amount of different people that stay in these complexes it increases the variety of different mould and bacteria that grows inside of the system. As our bodies may not have the correct immune response to these unusual contaminants it can lead to some serious negative effects on your health.

How to vacation without the added stress of unclean air conditioning:

Before booking into your hired accommodation, be sure to ask the establishment if they frequently have their air conditioning systems serviced and cleaned. Be sure to pick accommodation that has a regular cleaning schedule for their refrigeration and cooling systems.

Recirculation of air born infections:

A great example of air born infection circulation is what occurs within the classroom. We all know children can be a ball of germs on a good day. Now put 20+ kids into a classroom that has its air recirculated constantly by the air conditioner… the outcome is not good.

Steps to take to reduce your child’s exposure to unclean cooling systems:

In order to reduce your child’s exposure to poorly maintained air conditioning, be sure to ask and encourage your children’s school to have their air conditioning systems cleaned regularly to help reduce the infection rates of air born infections.

What’s involved in cleaning an air conditioner?

At Arctic Refrigeration we take absolute pride in our work and take upmost care in cleaning the inside and out of your system.

We firstly asses the condition of your unit and advise how we would like to proceed. We disassemble the indoor unit, removing the case, drain pan and any other components. Using a wash bag and portable pressure washer we then do an initial rise of the coil and barrel fan. We then use an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal spray to disinfect your system. Once the spray has had time to take effect, we will completely wash out the indoor coil, barrel fan and drain pan to ensure that all components are free from dirt and mould. In terms of duration, the cleaning process generally takes between 1 – 2 hours, this is dependent on the condition of the system.

How do I clean my air conditioner?

The disassembly and cleaning of an air conditioner system has a lot of potential hazards which can not only cause damage to the system but also injury or death. This is not a DIY job and we highly recommend that you use a trained and qualified technician to complete the work.

For split system air conditioner cleaning, installation and maintenance, get in touch with us here at Arctic Refrigeration, offering exceptional split system air conditioning cleaning and repairs for Kyabram, Echuca, Rochester, Tatura, Tongala, Shepparton and rural Victoria.