In Australia, most families survive the winter by heating their homes. Soon summer will be upon us and across neighbourhoods air conditioners will be blasting cool air into homes, workplaces and cars.
But have you stopped to think that the air conditioner could be making you and your family sick?
With 4.6 million Australians using air conditioners in their daily life, how many are getting theirs serviced? How many families have had the same air conditioner for years, never serviced, with all the dirt, mold and bacteria being pushed back into the air and into your lungs?
We all try to live healthy lives, feed our kids the best food to give them the right start in life, exercise to keep the heart and lungs strong so why do we neglect to ensure we have clean air through our air conditioners?
There are many reasons to take your home and workplace air quality seriously.
A brief google search of the dangers of having poorly maintained air conditioning reveals very scary articles such as “air-conditioner lung”. This is a very serious auto immune reaction to small airborne particles. If you are not maintaining and cleaning your air conditioner, it builds up dust, pollen and mould, and the longer it is left the more concentrated it gets. This can lead to other health issues like asthma, allergies or infections like “air-conditioner lung”.
THE SIGNS

When did you last have your air conditioner serviced (umm never?) and are you getting sick from it?
There are signs that you are getting sick from your air conditioner.
Breathing Issues
All the micro-organisms we’ve discussed are living in your air conditioner and can potentially lead to respiratory problems.
Headaches and Dizziness
Do you have a post nasal drip that just won’t go away? Does your head feel congested and headachy after being in an air conditioned building? Again it could be all those little micro-organisms.
Symptoms of a Cold
According to Oxford Journals, individuals who spend a lot of time in air-conditioned environments tend to need a high amount of health care services for symptoms of a cold.
Are Air Conditioners Worth It?
There are many benefits to living with an air conditioner than not living with one.
AC Helps you Sleep
During the blazing summer months our air conditioners help us get a good night’s sleep. Sleeping in a cool environment has certain health benefits.
AC can Boost Metabolism
It helps to boost your metabolism by increasing the amount of good fat that is stored in your body. We call this brown fat and it works by burning more calories while you sleep. The cold activates it and you can find it in most mammals. The main propose of brown fat is to help regulate your bodies temperature to a more comfortable level. When we sleep in the cold we activate the brown fat which then burns more calories while we sleep, increasing your metabolism.
Cancer
Some research suggests it may even help prevent cancer. The coolness can raise the level of melatonin in our body which helps to reduce the risk of tumors. Testing has showed that bloods with low levels of melatonin are at a higher risk of getting tumors than those rich in melatonin. Sleeping cool can increase your immune system which in turn can help you fight colds and flu.
Insomnia
We’ve all had a night of trying to sleep when it’s too hot, you toss and turn and never seem to properly reach REM. Sleeping too hot can cause some types of insomnia such as sleep onset insomnia. We need our body temperature to drop in order to get a good night’s sleep.
Stress
If you are not getting a good night’s sleep this can lead to an increase in hormone level called cortisol. The increase in cortisol is known to lead to depression. With better sleep you have better brain function and less stress.
Service Your Dirty Air Conditioning
There are benefits to having your air conditioner serviced besides saving your family’s health.
Efficiency
Regular servicing will help your air conditioner run more efficiently.If your filters are clogged with those nasty bugs, it causes your air conditioner to work even harder, using up more energy and pushing your electricity bill up.
Carbon Footprint
For those of us who are aware of our carbon foot print, an air conditioner that is not running energy efficiently leaves a big carbon foot print on the environment. Routine services will help save the pennies and ease the conscience.
Extend Usage
When you spend money on a large appliance you want to get your monies worth. We all want our machines to run effectively and efficiently for years. Regular servicing can extend the operational life of the air conditioner? There is a limit to how long any model will run but you can extend it by making sure it’s regularly serviced.
Prevent Breakdowns
During the service of your machine, the technician will notice any wear and tear of parts and replace them, which prevents major breakdowns and we all know how much a major breakdown can cost. This will in the long run save you money.
Conclusion
You may not particularly want to know what ugly dirty secrets your air conditioner has been keeping from you, but servicing your air conditioner regularly is a must for a healthy lifestyle and extending your air conditioner’s life.
With a fresh air conditioner service, you can look forward to breathing cleaner, fresher air. You may also shed a few kilos as well with a new and increased metabolism 😉
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