HVAC Systems: Will Air Conditioners Make You Sick?

Getting an air conditioning system installed in your home can be a great way to improve indoor air quality. This is especially true if you live in an area of the country that has high outdoor pollution. For example, if every time you open your windows to let in some fresh air you are met with the smell of city smog and see all your soft furnishing covered in dirt, an air conditioning unit could be a great investment. Such a unit will allow you to bring fresh air into your property through a filtered system that cools and cleans the air before it is circulated around your home.

A portable air conditioning unit is great for those who live with people who smoke indoors as you can place the unit in a room to clean the air. Many units also have a dehumidifying setting which can be handy for those who need to dry wet clothes indoors without the risk of encouraging mold growth on the walls and ceilings.

The best air conditioning systems have both heating and cooling functions, which means they can be run year-round. The worse thing you can do to a complex air conditioning systems is to leave it switched off for long periods of time.

Will Air Conditioner Make You Sick?

Air conditioners are designed to improve the quality of the air inside a building, however, if they are not properly maintained or if the automatic settings are manually overridden, there is a chance they could make you sick. For example, if filters are not regularly maintained, dust, bacteria, pollution and mold partials can pass through and start to be circulated in the air. The ducking on some systems is susceptible to mold growth, which means regular cleaning is essential.

The automatic settings on most units will keep humidity levels at healthy, comfortable levels for humans. On some units, however, the manual setting can be overridden. This is to allow the unit to be used in buildings that are generally vacant, such as those used to grow certain types of indoor plants. However, if the humidity setting is manually overridden on a unit installed in a residential home, indoor air could become uncomfortably humid or dry. When humid levels are very low, viruses are more easily spread and lung tissue can be irritated.

Air Conditioner Servicing

Regular aircon servicing on your air conditioner unit is essential for maintaining it’s health and functioning. If you have a basic unit, it might be possible to change the filters and clean air vents and ducking yourself. With larger, more complex units, however, you are likely to need to hire the services of a qualified HVAC technician.

When it comes to basic units, if you opt to change the filters yourself, it’s important to ensure you buy your replacement filters from a reputable supplier. You should find out which filters are compatible with your model and ensure they meet high standards. You might find many cheap filters for sale on eBay, but many of these filters are not made to meet quality standards and may allow dangerous microbes and dust particles to past through and contaminate your whole unit. Don’t try to save money on filters.

If you have a larger air conditioning unit that requires servicing by a professional firm, it’s vital that you take time to shop around for an air conditioner service company. You want to hire a company that employs qualified HVAC technicians and that has many years of experience in the industry. That said, you also want to ensure you are not overpaying for maintenance services. Some companies vastly inflate service hire costs and by shopping around and comparing quotes, you could stand to save a lot of money.

The internet can be a great place to find the best HVAC companies in your local area. What’s more, by visiting a company’s website before you hire their services, you can find out a lot more about their background and experience and perhaps read some reviews from previous customers. You can also do a search for the company’s name on Google to ensure there are no negative reviews associated with the provider. Companies that provide poor quality work tend to go out of business much fastest these days as their reputation is visible to all on the web.