Getting sick from air conditioning: is it a fable or a fact?
Air conditioning is often associated with getting sick; after all, who has never caught a cold after spending an entire day in the air conditioner?
Yet you don't get sick because of air conditioning itself. So what are the causes? AquaConsult sums it up for you.
Temperature differences
Many air conditioners are far too cold. The ideal temperature difference between outside and inside is a maximum of 6°C. Do temperatures rise to 40°C, as has been happening occasionally lately? Then the temperature difference is quickly too big. Anyone already suffering from respiratory infections will quickly develop additional complaints.
A/C maintenance
Got a cold from a day in the air conditioner? Then that air conditioner is probably not properly maintained. Air is drawn through a filter before it is cooled and returned to the room. That filter ensures that particles such as pollen or viruses do not enter the cooled air.
But is that filter not properly maintained? Then those polluting particles will come right back into the room, which could give you a cold or trigger your allergies.
This is therefore the biggest advantage to monoblock air conditioners. These are maintenance-free and are available in combination with ionisation. With ionisation, viruses, pollen and bacteria in the air are eliminated and so you no longer have to worry about them.
Indoor humidity
Not only poor maintenance can cause you to get sick; the wrong setting can also be the culprit. After all, an air conditioner regulates not only the temperature, but also the humidity.
An ideal humidity is between 45% and 60%, but air conditioners often reduce that humidity to 40% or even less. That low humidity causes minor ailments like chapped lips or dry eyes and irritation to the mucous membranes or airways. That irritation to the mucous membranes or airways is the cause of an itchy cough.
Air conditioning in the car
What we come into contact with the most are air conditioners in cars. These are even more likely to make you sick because air conditioners in cars are often used incorrectly: for example, they are usually too cold, making the temperature difference with the outside air too big, but the biggest mistake is leaving the air conditioners on until you reach your destination. When that happens, the evaporator of the air conditioner is still damp, promoting the growth of bacteria and fungi. Those unhealthy substances are blown right into your face when you restart the car.
Some tips
Avoid getting sick with these tips:
Looking for an air conditioner?
Are you looking for an air conditioner that you can adjust perfectly and requires no maintenance? Contact AquaConsult now and our experts will be happy to help you or visit the webshop of our sister company AeroConsult.
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