While we have little control over air quality outdoors, the quality of the air we breathe within the four walls of our home is a strong determinant of the effort we invest into maintaining good air quality, cleanliness, and efficient HVAC systems. If you are one of the many who suffers from seasonal allergies that bring with them sneezing, itchy eyes, congestion, and flu, your air conditioner can help provide you relief to a large extent.
We spend a minimum of 12 hours in our humble abodes on any given day and this metric only increases for children, homemakers, and professionals with flexible work hours. With activities such as gardening, lawn mowing and garage & car maintenance surrounding our houses, we churn a lot of dust and move it from one place to another. Fibre from synthetic carpets, furniture fabrics and drapes can also play havoc.
Fragrances and volatile elements from personal care products and cleaning agents can prove to be troublesome. Hence, it is imperative that proper attention is given to air quality. We are here to help you understand how your aircon can help you iron out these concerns and the steps you should take in making your unit is doing its best to provide you with good air quality.
Air Moisture
With the temperate climate in the UK, we experience a spike in the humidity levels in the air from time to time. This moisture serves are a breeding ground for mites, allergies and bacteria, mildew and molds. An air conditioner that is fitted with a dehumidifier can help in removing moisture in the air, providing you with clean fresh air to breathe and locking out air irritants and pollutants. If you have a dense garden or flora cover around your home which calls for regular watering, it is best you invest in a dehumidifier to avoid airborne bacteria.
Dust & Pet Dander
If the area surrounding your home is dust-prone or the activities of your children or family often result in them bringing dust and mud and germs into your home such as football games, running etc., you will have to tackle the problem of air quality all year round. The presence of pets at home too brings in excess dust and debris as well as the problem of fur shedding and the occasional sudden nature’s call indoors. In such an event, your aircon can help you breathe easier. A good air conditioner with a strong filter can filter out aggravating or troublesome air particles as well as bacteria to give you and your loved ones fresh and clean air to breathe. Renovation or carpentry repairs also cause an upheaval of dust which your aircon can help you ward off.
Help Your Air Conditioner Help You
You can wave goodbye to air quality issues if you take good care of your aircon.
Some best practices listed below will make sure your AC unit is well equipped to beat the dust:
- Air Filters – Your main weapon against poor air quality is a good filter. All air filters are assigned a MERV rating or Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value rating which depicts the ability of the filter to remove particles from the air. A value of around 8 would indicate an efficient filter for dust prone areas. Electrostatic filters are also a good option for allergy prone aircon users as they attract airborne particles using electric charge thereby cleaning the air effectively.
- Clean Away Dust & Debris on Outer Unit – Your AC’s efficiency depends on the ability of the outer unit to access air from the external environment and condition this air to suit your needs indoors. A clogged outer unit covered with dust, debris, leaves and twigs will result in dirty air being used by your aircon, leading to compromised air quality and increased strain on your unit. Hence, regularly clear off any build up on your unit and keep the surrounding areas also clean.
- Dust Your Aircon Vents – Many of us are investing heavily in dusting and vacuuming agents but often times do not give due attention to aircon registers, vents, and fittings from a cleaning perspective. Develop a habit of cleaning your air conditioners external fittings on a weekly basis with a dry cloth/tissue to prevent dust clogging the air outlet.
- Check Your Ductwork – Avoids any drips or leakages on your evaporator coils, drain pans and air handlers to eliminate any scope of fungus or mold breeding as well as corrosion of the metal particles involved by regularly checking your ducts.
- Pay Attention to Air Circulation – Improper circulation of air can lead to an air-conditioned home that is highly infected with mites and bacteria. This can be attributed to a poor choice of location to install the aircon which results in what is called a cold spot – an area where the air-conditioned air fails to reach in the designated space or room. These cold spots breed mites and also give rise to allergen and fungus, which can quickly spread to the rest of your home too. Hence it is imperative that due attention is paid to efficient design and installation of air conditioners.
- Invest in a Maintenance Cycle – We can’t stress on this enough. This is an absolute must to maintain your entire aircon ecosystem from an air quality perspective as well as energy efficiency and wear and tear perspective. We at Subcooled provide comprehensive service packages to make sure all aspects of your aircon are taken care and your unit operates efficiently for years.