Whether you have a whole house or a single room air conditioner, it’s good to know what to do before turning it on. As well as obviously not having to make him work more than he should.
If the air conditioner is not maintained properly, it can be contaminated with microorganisms that can be harmful if inhaled.
Among which the problems we can mention as well as asthma and the allergies among the possible damages, but not only.
Air conditioner, what to do before turning it on
Every year the summer warming data continues to succumb under the weight of therising global temperatures.
A trend that manifests itself, literally and concretely, when we receive the monthly electricity bill once the air conditioning is turned on. According to experts, mistakes made with home air conditioning can compromise its efficiency, effectiveness as well as safety of our health.
In fact, if the air conditioner is not maintained properly, it can be contaminated by microorganisms that can be dangerous if inhaled.
Common mistakes can be made when it comes to air conditioning at home and a few simple adjustments can instead save our lungs and even our wallet.
Change or clean filters. At a minimum, the filter on the central AC unit should be changed quarterly, and at least once a month if the system is running continuously.
Neglecting this and a dirty filter can lead to poor airflow or freezing of the unit’s evaporator coil. A dirty filter it could add 5% to 15% to your energy bill, as well as reduce the life of the entire system. Fortunately, replacement filters are quite inexpensive.
If you have ‘split’ units without duct, there should be a removable panel on the unit that will allow you to clean the filter with a rag, or even wash it, so there is no need to replace it.
Thermostat adjustment
A programmable thermostat can save hundreds of dollars on your annual air conditioning bill by automatically raising the temperature to those times of the day when you are at work or away from home.
The new “smart” thermostats controllable from the phone make programming even easier.
Research has shown that the human body is capable of adapt to hot or cold temperatures quickly, for example within a week or two.
If we want to reduce the air conditioning bill by up to 3%, it is possible to do so for every degree in which the temperature is lowered, not to mention the potential environmental benefits resulting from the reduction in the use of air conditioning.
Conditioner and bacteria
Water-cooled systems are characterized by a water stagnation able to trigger a real proliferation of bacteria.
Particular attention should be paid as to, should water arise polluted, when the air conditioner is turned on again, the spread of bacteria is inevitable. And legionella it can be one of them.
Legionella infections can cause:
- exhaustion,
- respiratory difficulties,
- dysentery,
- muscle disorders,
- pneumonia.
You can avoid all of this by simply doing one regular maintenance activities of the appliance and sanitation of the structures.
They are also sufficient just a few drops of water propagated in the room air to inhale the bacteria. Consequently, in order to avoid any inconvenience, it is advisable to regularly clean the filters of the air conditioner with soap and water and unload the trays condensate collection.