Verwarmen met airco

Air Conditioning is often associated with the risk of getting sick, especially on hot days when the indoor air feels pleasantly cool. Many people recognize the discomfort of a sore throat or runny nose after a long day in a room with a powerful air conditioner. It seems like a regular pattern: you enjoy the coolness at first, but later you wonder if that fresh air might have given you a cold after all.

Yet you don't get sick from the air conditioner itself! So what are the causes? We list them for you.

1. Humidity in your home

Proper ventilation is very important for our health. This is because your air conditioner regulates not only the temperature but also the humidity and ventilation.

What happens when humidity is too low?

  • Air conditioning can cause humidity to drop below 40%.
  • This can lead to symptoms such as dry eyes, a dry throat, or irritated skin.

Why too much moisture is also a problem

It is important not to let the humidity rise above 60%. This is because it can cause moisture spots or mold growth.

Humidity

2. Maintaining your air conditioner

Did you get sick after a day in the air conditioner? Then this air conditioner is probably not good onderhouden. This is because an air conditioner works with a filter that purifies the air before it is cooled back into the room. This filter stops harmful particles, such as pollen, bacteria and viruses.

But what happens if the filter is not properly maintained? Then the contaminated particles re-enter space.

This can lead to complaints such as:

  • Cold or sore throat.
  • A flu-like feeling or fatigue.
  • Shortness of breath, nausea and irritated airways.
  • Exacerbation of allergies, such as hay fever and asthma.

A major advantage of the Innova Monoblock air conditioners, available from AeroConsult, is that they are maintenance-free and also optionally available with ionisatie. The ionization function removes viruses, pollen and bacteria from the air, so you no longer have to worry about unwanted particles in your living environment.

3. Temperature differences

Not only can an air conditioner be poorly maintained, many air conditioners are just too cold. The ideal temperature difference between inside and outside should be no more than 6°C.

In practice, however, this rarely happens. Many people set their air conditioner to a comfortable 21°C, making the difference much greater than recommended.

What are the consequences of an air conditioner that is too cold?

  • A large temperature difference can cause additional symptoms in people with respiratory infections.
  • The immune system can weaken, making you more susceptible to viruses and bacteria.
  • Too low a temperature can negatively affect your overall comfort and health.
temperature variations
air conditioning in the car

4. Air conditioning in the car

Then still get sick from air conditioning? It is more likely from the air conditioner in your car. The reason why we can get sick from this is because we have them incorrect setting: they are usually too cold. This makes the temperature difference too great with the outside air, as we have just seen.

Another big mistake that can be made is your leaving air conditioning on until you reach your final destination. As a result, your air conditioner's evaporator is still damp when you turn off the car, promoting the growth of bacteria and mold. Those unhealthy substances are so blown in your face when you restart the car.

5. In winter, bacteria concentrate

In winter, windows and doors are often closed, which can increase the concentration of germs in the air. If you get sick quickly in the office, it often has more to do with the presence of many people than the air conditioning itself.

The air conditioner merely circulates air throughout the office. If there are people present who carry microbes, the air conditioner's airflow allows them to circulate more quickly throughout the office.

bacteria in winter

Some tips

  • Clean and maintain your air conditioner properly. You won't get sick from air conditioning as long as that air conditioning is properly maintained. If you already suffer from respiratory symptoms, the symptoms are more likely to worsen if you have spent an entire day in air conditioning. That's because bacteria and viruses spread faster when it's colder.
  • Try to keep the temperature difference between outdoor and indoor air conditioning to a minimum. A difference of 6°C is ideal.
  • Turn off your car's air conditioning when you are about five minutes from your destination. That way, it has time to dry out and the transition from the fresh car to the warm outside air is not too jarring for your body.

Looking for an air conditioner that you can perfectly adjust and requires no maintenance? Contact AeroConsult now and our experts will be happy to assist you.

Contact AeroConsult