3 Ways Your Air Conditioner Can Cause Health Problems

If you do not seek the expertise of an air conditioning maintenance professional to service your air conditioning unit on a regular basis, you and your family may be at risk for illness. It is important that an air conditioning professional evaluate your system a couple of times a year, typically during the spring and fall. Here are three ways your air conditioning unit can cause health problems, and how preventative maintenance can help reduce your risk.

1. Dirty Filters

If you do not have the filters from your air conditioning unit changed periodically, dust, pet dander, fungi, and other harmful microorganisms can get blown into your home every time the unit is turned on. Changing the filters takes only a few seconds, and while many homeowners do this themselves, it is better to rely on the expertise of an air conditioning maintenance professional.

Improperly installing a furnace filter can cause unhealthy particulate to invade your indoor air, settling on your furniture and counters. Poor air quality as a result of improperly installed filters can exacerbate symptoms of a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and allergies, and can even lead to sneezing, coughing, eye irritation, and sore throat in healthy people. 

2. Mold In Vents

Mold, yeasts, and fungi can accumulate inside your ductwork and vents. If not periodically cleaned by your air conditioning professional, these organisms can infiltrate the air inside your home each time the compressor is on.

Exposure to mold spores can cause respiratory problems, skin rashes, joint pain, headaches, and dizziness. If you suspect that you and your family have been exposed to mold as a result of contaminated ductwork, make an appointment with your physician. Also, avoid using your air conditioner until the service technician cleans it and deems it safe to use again. 

3. Bacterial And Viral Exposure

If you have an attic, and if squirrels, birds, possums, mice, or raccoons find their way in, their droppings can infiltrate your ventilation system. Droppings from these animals can harbor bacteria and viruses, and if your vents are not cleaned, airborne bacteria from animal feces and urine can make you sick.

If you are exposed to animal waste, you may develop gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal cramping, diarrhea, and vomiting, headaches, wheezing, shortness of breath, joint pain, and visual difficulties. In addition to having your vents and ductwork cleaned by a professional, you should also seek the services of a wildlife expert, who will determine the best way to humanely remove the animals from your attic and prevent them from returning in the future. 

Call an air conditioning professional to check your system to make sure it is in good working condition and to perform routine maintenance and cleaning. These measures will help keep your indoor air quality free from harmful particulate and will also reduce your risk from airborne illness. 

For more information, contact a company like Precision Temp Heating & Cooling.

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