In our part of the world, especially during these summer months, air conditioners are considered as life-savers. And really why wouldn’t they? In many Pakistani cities, reports of an intense heatwave and loss of lives have put the role of the AC front and center.
These ACs help those who are suffering from allergies and asthma, as the units filter out pollen and dust from the outdoors and provide you with cool, dry air that makes these summers bearable. They also clean out the air so that we can breathe easy and go about our daily routine at work and home.
However, not many people are aware of the dark side and costs of modern air-conditioning units. The truth is, these ACs need to be well-maintained – checked and cleaned regularly. If not, the many benefits they provide in our daily lives are null and void. In fact, they end up doing more damage to our health and make our living conditions unbearable.
We take a look about the things that we need to be aware of when using these old air-conditioning units at our home and offices, and how we can ensure that our health is not affected negatively by their use.
They End Up Causing Breathing Problems
If you forget to clean out your ACs periodically and wash its air filters, your trusty old air-conditioner becomes a breeding ground for fungi and bacteria. The coils and ducts in your AC become home to black molds, and they cause breathing problems when pushed out via the unit.
You Feel Ill and Sick
If you find yourself going out for some fresh air from your office seat, more often than not, science says that’s actually a good thing to do. This is because the air from your office AC might be making you feel tired and unproductive. Research states that people who go out of the office periodically in these cases end up feeling better in minutes. Something’s up with the air. Scientists call this phenomenon the ‘sick building syndrome.’
The Risk of Contamination is High
Normally all of us believe that we are safe from pollution inside our offices. However, faulty AC units may end up bringing outside pollutants right onto our desks, since they end up circulating old air without filtering it. This raises the risk of you getting sick or being exposed to viruses and air-borne infections.
You Suffer from Dry Skin
Cold, dry air from the AC can make your skin lose its moisture. Even your hair is affected by it.
The Solution?
Thankfully, a lot of these issues are solvable. Companies and households should ensure that their ACs are regularly maintained (and replaced in certain cases). In fact, future AC units from companies such as Samsung have a novel way of eliminating this issue altogether – they won’t rely on air at all. And what’s more? These ‘wind-free’ ACs are coming to a store near you.
So what do say? Do you keep your AC units maintained? If so, how regularly? And are you hoping to upgrade to the new ‘wind-free’ ACs if need be?
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