The Effects of an Unmaintained Air Conditioning Unit

A healthy air conditioning unit means not only will it work with maximum efficiency but also hygienically and safely. The pitfalls of poor air conditioning unit maintenance stretch far beyond poor operation of the unit itself, and can have long term health implications for those who use it.

WHY SHOULD AIR CONDITIONING MAINTENANCE BE A PRIORITY?

Air conditioning units provide comfort and temperature control to millions of people in homes and businesses every day. As with any essential home or office equipment, air conditioning units require regular maintenance and cleaning, and similar to a range of other appliances, failure to properly maintain them can have consequences for the unit and for the people around it.

As air conditioning units are often located overhead, they are often also overlooked. It is not uncommon for air conditioning units to suffer poor or irregular cleaning and maintenance, and from time to time such stories make the mainstream news such as when almost 100 New York residents developed Legionnaire’s Disease from the air conditioning in their building.

AIR CONDITIONING AND COVID-19

Air conditioning units have been implicated in the spread of COVID-19 regardless of maintenance as they circulate air in a room, including that exhaled by people breathing and talking, such as in the case of a  COVID-19 outbreak in a restaurant in Guangzhou, China in 2020. Should an infected person be in that room, it is thought that the air conditioning unit may spread COVID-19 further and affect more people than if it had not been in use.

EVERBRITE – AIR CONDITIONING DISINFECTANT AND ODOUR REMOVER

In 2020 NCH Asia Pacific launched the Everbrite air conditioning system filter. Everbrite kills germs and bacteria as the air passes through the vent and back into the room. This new innovation in air disinfection is an easy to use stick on filter that can be integrated into a range of HVAC systems and kills up to 99.9% of viruses and bacteria. The Everbrite filter aims to protect people against all types of virus, including COVID-19, making it an excellent choice of air conditioning filter to add to your home or business against COVID-19.

Everbrite Filter is equipped with encapsulation technology for controlled release of active antimicrobials, with germicidal effect within 1 minute of use, killing pathogenic bacteria, antibiotic resistant bacteria and moulds, providing persistent disinfection for 90 days.

You can read more about the Everbrite filter here. 

Air Conditioning Health Hazards from Poor Maintenance

While COVID-19 is one of many potential illnesses which may be spread by air conditioning units, almost all cases of illness spread by air conditioning are due to poor maintenance and cleaning.

The classic example of disease bourne in air conditioning and HVAC systems is Legionnaire’s disease, a severe form of pneumonia in which the legionella bacterium is inhaled from wet environments and develops into an infection.

There are many other airbourne pathogenic viruses, fungi and bacteria which cause diseases such as influenza, the common cold, blastomycosis, and even tuberculosis. Ensuring your air conditioning unit is safe and hygienic at all times helps minimise the spread of airborne pathogens, keeping people safe and reducing the economic impact on households and businesses.

SHINY SIDE – CLEAN AWAY MOULD AND POLLENS

To help keep air conditioning units safe and hygienic, NCH Asis have developed Shiny Side, a non-acidic cleaner which removes tough grime and oxidation from aluminium, and is safe to use on air conditioning coils as well as handles and controls.

Shiny Side is a foam cleaner which works fast to clean equipment and remove foul odours. It has been designed to target hard to reach areas, helping keep your business’ air conditioning units safe from spreading airbourne pathogens and creating a healthy air atmosphere.

NCH Asia Pacific are dedicated to helping commercial businesses create safe, efficient working environments and working with you to promote a healthy air environment for any commercial property. Contact us today to find out more about how we can support your business.