Air conditioners make life easy as you only need to flip a switch or touch a button to cool your house and make it comfortable. While the appliances bring comfort, they have also been shown to be hazardous.
According to air conditioning repair service providers, the units produce gases that are toxic to both humans and the environment. So if you are asking, do air conditioners emit harmful gases?
Yes, they do.
Why do air conditioners produce harmful gases?
Expert AC repair professionals report that the units produce harmful gases due to the way they are designed to function. The air conditioner uses electric coils and pumps to transfer air between the interior and exterior of your house.
The condenser moves hot hair to the outside while the evaporator pushes the cool air to the inside. The air movement is facilitated by the refrigerant that functions by transforming gas to liquid and vice versa.
It’s in this process where harmful gases are released.
Can you reduce the harmful gases released?
Yes, it’s possible to reduce harmful gas emissions. Some of the things you should do include:
Buy an energy star rated appliance.
The ENERGY STAR is a program initiated by the United States government and the environmental protection agency (EPA) to determine the national energy efficiency standards. ENERGY STAR qualified appliances use 10% less energy than non-qualified appliances, which means they release fewer harmful gases to the environment.
When you are in the store shopping for an air conditioner, be on the lookout for one that is ENERGY STAR rated.
Keep the appliance in top shape.
The key to reducing the amount of harmful gases released is to reduce the amount of energy the appliance uses. You can easily do this by taking excellent care of your appliance.
The first thing you should do is to clean the air conditioner regularly. When cleaning, you should pay attention to both the indoor and outdoor units. Remove any dirt and debris you come across. You also should inspect the vents and ensure they are free from debris.
You also should ensure the vents aren’t blocked by toys, blinds, or pieces of furniture.
Keep the doors and windows closed.
By leaving the doors and windows open, you will be opening for the cooled air to leave the house. What is the consequence of this? The air conditioner will be forced to work harder to keep on pumping cool air into the house.
To keep the cool air in the house, keep the house doors and windows closed at all times.
Fix any leaks
Closing the doors and windows isn’t enough—you need to ensure there are no leakages around the windows, under the doors, or in your attic. Like open doors and windows, leakages cause the air conditioner to function inefficiently hence the increase in the release of harmful gases.
When you have leaks in your home, the cool air in your house will move outside. As a result, the air conditioner operates for a longer time and has to work harder to compensate for the loss. The results are high utility bills and increased production of harmful gases.
You can seal the leaks if you have the skills, but if you have never done it before, let an expert handle it for you.
Cover the windows
Did you know a simple act such as covering the windows can go a long way towards preserving your environment and your health? During the day, pull the curtains or close the blinds to block out the sun rays from getting into the house.
When you block the heat getting into the house, you prevent the air conditioner from working too hard hence releasing a lot of harmful gases.
Change the air filter.
The air filter has a significant impact not only on the quality of air released by the air conditioner, but also on the life of the appliance. For an optimally functioning air conditioner, replace the air filters at least once every three months.
The cool thing is you can easily replace the filter on your own without having to hire an AC repair services Fairfax provider. Like when buying an air conditioner, ensure the air filter you choose is high quality and will give you a long life.
