Does Your Air Conditioner Make You Feel Ill?

Gross air conditioners are a health hazard

A poorly maintained or out-of-date air conditioner can be a problem for more reasons that simply not cooling adequately; contaminated air conditioners can actually make you sick. Read on to learn more about what to do to protect your family’s health during cooling season.

How do shoddy air conditioners pose a health hazard?

Lousy or decades-old air conditioners don’t work the way they’re supposed to, or have seen better days. As systems grow older and more out-of-date, their wear-and-tear means they don’t operate at peak efficiency. Plus, they lack the newer, more effective technologies developed over time to keep air conditioners working safely and properly. Some of the most common health effects caused by past-their-prime air conditioners include:

• Overheating: Yes, it’s true. It’s technically possible to suffer the effects of overheating while in an air-conditioned environment, if the air conditioner isn’t working adequately. Perhaps only the fan is working, or a single room unit is woefully insufficient for a larger area. The bottom line is that if you aren’t comfortable, your health – or that of any elderly or immune-compromised housemates – could be at risk.
• Breathing dirty air: When your air filter is full of junk, a tipping point occurs when the filter is not able to collect any additional dirt and debris. With nowhere to go, the dirt ends up circulating in your home and breathed in by your family. And you get the pleasure of paying for the privilege – yikes!
• Exacerbating allergies and asthma: Imagine the worst possible scenario for a person with very sensitive environmental allergies or asthma. Does it involve, perhaps, having allergens and triggers like pollen, dust mites and pet dander collected in a concentrated area and then blown forcefully into the only available breathing air in an enclosed space? Because that’s EXACTLY what’s happening when a dirty air conditioner is on blast in your home.
• Growing mold and fungi: These culprits grow easily in cooling systems that use older technology and haven’t been cleaned or maintained adequately over the years. This is especially true for systems that produce a lot of condensation and remain moist.
• Creating a breeding ground for microorganisms: Damp air conditioning systems can make especially you sick. Growth of microorganisms, including potentially deadly Legionella, in cooling systems that use water, are rarer than mold or fungi, but can be very dangerous. This occurs more commonly in commercial buildings using large air conditioners, and in single window-unit air conditioners.

A new A/C system from TF Complete can COMPLETELY improve air quality

If you or someone in your family suffers from allergies or respiratory ailments, a new central air system can help you breathe easier by improving air quality. Today’s high-efficiency filters remove dust, dander, pollen, and other harmful particles from the air, ensuring that you are always breathing clean, fresh air all day and night.

Air is passed through a filter before it is circulated through the ductwork into your rooms. These filters are very good at removing even the smallest particles and pollutants. As long as they are cleaned and replaced on a regular basis and according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, your A/C system will continue to deliver fresh, clean air for many years to come.

Read more about TF Complete’s central air conditioning systems offered in Bristol, Worcester, Middlesex, and Norfolk counties and the surrounding areas of Massachusetts. If your home does not have ducts, or you only need A/C in one or two rooms, learn about ductless mini-splits today, and don’t forget to ask us about our financing and rebate opportunities.

Are you thinking about upgrading your home comfort system? Contact us to set up your free estimate! Your friends at TF Complete Heating & Cooling will be available whenever you need us.