How Important Is Regular Servicing Of My Air Conditioner

We’ve all been there before at one time or another living in Brisbane. Those scorching hot summer days where the humidity and intense heat makes you sweat just putting the key into the front door to your house.

You step inside and it’s like walking into a sauna and almost impossible to work out whether it’s hotter inside or out!

The first thing you do is fumble for the air conditioning remote, turn it on and stand there waiting for that first blast of refreshing cold air to shock your body back to life.

Next time you say “I will set the timer to come on 30 minutes beforehand” and one day you might just remember to do that.

As common as it might be, the situation is a little easier for people who live between the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast reaping the benefits of leaving a window or two open to enjoy the cool ocean breeze.

But if you are like the masses of us who live somewhere in the greater Brisbane suburbs or out west through the Ipswich corridor where it can get even hotter the choice of living, sleeping, working and eating with your residential air conditioning on in summer is a no brainer.

If we stop and think about that for just a moment, many of us spend up to 90% of our days and nights breathing the air recycled from a split or ducted air con system in one shape or form.

Let’s break down what a typical 24 hour period with air conditioning might look like:

• 7 hours sleeping in our beds at night
• 1 hour driving back and forth to work in the car or using public transport 
• 8 hours at work
• 4 hours inside cooking dinner, relaxing with the family 

So it would be fair to say that the average office-bound worker with a busy family life could spend close to 18-20 hours a day breathing air from an air conditioner. Much of this would be true for our children at school.

So question’s that are often asked is: “Is the air we breathe from air-con systems safe? Are we unknowingly breathing in air that could cause us any long term side effects or health problems in the future?”

For approximately 2.7 million Australians living with asthma and the 7 million or so dealing with various allergies sometimes just turning on the system can cause significant problems that last for hours.

Rest assured, it’s not the air conditioning unit it’s self that makes us unwell, but rather nasty contaminants it can unknowingly circulate in the air such as:

• Dust mites
• Dust and Dirt
• Mould
• Bacteria
• Pollen
• Garbage
• Cleaning products
• Pesticides
• Viruses

If you ever switch on your air conditioning and start to feel unwell or notice any unusual odours, it may mean the quality of air being pushed through could be harbouring some unwelcome problems.

In the case of commercial air conditioning inside a building, have you ever noticed people sneezing frequently, coughing or suffering from watery eyes or constantly yawning? Some of the other symptoms people endure 9 to 5 inside an office are very common:

• Stomach and digestive issues
• Shortness of breath
• Feeling constantly tired
• Dizziness

So yes ventilation systems can be a breeding ground for a multitude of contaminants which can cause all sorts of health-related problems for people if the systems themselves do not have a thorough maintenance or air conditioning servicing plan.

But before you get too concerned lets put things into perspective. Air conditioning has been widely used across the globe for decades and the technology is making the industry and systems better by the year.

What we sometimes hear and perceive as bad for us in the news or from one person to another, can be a benefit for us.

Air conditioning is considered good for your health as a well-serviced system takes the humidity out of the air which ironically causes dampness which causes the build-up of mold, mildew, and bacteria in the first place.

The right system with high-quality filters in place will filter the dirty air containing pollutants and allergens that can cause asthma attacks. Air conditioning can lower blood pressure and has been attributed as the number one preventative factor against heat-related sickness and death.

So we know now that a poorly serviced system can harm our health whereas a well-maintained one can have a positive effect, so what are the steps you can take?

Professional Maintenance is the key to both old and new air conditioning units. Although there are many home owners who may frequently tackle the basic tasks like cleaning a filter themselves, when it comes to hygiene and the longevity of your system its best left to the professionals.

Whatever you do, don’t start spraying chemicals or cleaners into the unit itself as you could wind up making things much worse or even breaking it.

Apart from having all the right tools on hand, engaging the licensed refrigeration professionals such as the high-performance team at Technicool will ensure the job is done to the highest Australian standards. 

We will thoroughly clean your system no matter how big or small to ensure the highest purity of air, identifying any issues upfront before they become a bigger problem down the road. 

If need be, we can fix or even upgrade your unit to one of the latest clean air technology systems on the market or for those suffering from allergies and asthma replace it with one that is approved by the National Asthma Council of Australia.

Having a regular service will not only give you a better quality of air in your office and eliminate the effects of harmful contaminants, but it will prolong the life of your units allowing them to run at an optimal performance level, saving on electricity costs in the long run.

If you would like help understanding how you can ensure you are breathing the best quality of air for your home or business, please contact the professionals at Technicool today.