How air conditioners help improve the air quality in your home
04.05.2021
It’s estimated that the air inside our homes is up to 10 times more contaminated than the air outside – a concerning number, considering Australians spend up to 90% of our time indoors on average.
Contaminated air can cause a range of adverse health effects, including symptoms described as ‘sick building syndrome’ (SBS) which can result in short term irritation and longer term chronic illnesses if not remedied. In fact, it is estimated that SBS costs Australia up to $12 billion, according to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.
What’s the solution? High-quality, split-system air conditioners can help to improve air quality to make your home, healthy, warm and dry – here’s how.
The importance of lean air
Clean air is air free of pollutants that can harm our lungs and bodies. In Australian households, these pollutants might include:
- Cleaning products
- Household chemicals
- Asbestos
- Dust mites and dust
- Bacteria and viruses
- Mould and dampness
- Smoke from indoor fires
These common pollutants tend to linger in the air much longer inside than out, due to lower levels of ventilation. At first, living with these irritants might cause mild symptoms such as irritation of the skin, eyes and throat. headache, drowsiness, and general irritancy.
But if you continue to live in a home with unhealthy air, you may be at a higher risk of chronic illnesses such as cancer and respiratory diseases. For both your health and the health of your family, it’s essential that you take action right away if you suspect your home has low-quality air.
How air conditioners improve air quality
The main function of your split-system air conditioner is to keep your home at a comfortable, healthy temperature year-round. But because of the intelligent design of some modern air conditioners, they can also help to maintain healthy air in your home by removing pollutants and irritants from the air.
This occurs when air is sucked into your indoor unit and circulated around the system. The air passes through filters which remove large particles and allergens, like pet hair and smaller irritants such as pollen, dust or odours.
Most modern air conditioners remove the larger particles but many lack fine enough filters to remove smaller irritants such as pollen. Check with the manufacturer of your unit, or read your air conditioners manual to make sure (all new Carrier Air split system air conditioners have fine filters to catch odours and clean air).
Air conditioners also have the benefit of increasing ventilation in your home by constantly circulating air. This can help reduce the level of irritants continually, as well as helping to dry the air in your home. This can reduce the level of humidity in your home and decrease the risk of harmful moulds taking hold and spreading.
Maintaining your air conditioner’s filters
To ensure your air conditioner is operating as efficiently as possible and cleaning your air effectively, it’s a good idea to carry out regular maintenance. A yearly service is important and you should also clean your air filters every two weeks.
Here’s a quick three-step guide to cleaning the air filters of your Carrier residential split system air conditioner:
- Lift the indoor unit panel up to an angle until it stops with a clicking sound.
- Take hold of the handle of the air filter and lift it up slightly to take it out from the filter holder, then pull it downwards.
- Remove the air filter from the indoor unit. Clean the air filter with a vacuum cleaner or water then leave it to dry before reinstalling.
Other ways to improve air quality
Running an air conditioner isn’t the only way to improve air quality in your home. Here are a few other things you can do to make sure you are breathing in clean air:
- Opening windows whenever possible to improve ventilation.
- Running the extractor fan whenever you cook.
- Installing and running fans whenever showering, or bathing to reduce humidity and the risk of mould.
- Reducing your use of cleaning products and other household chemicals. Look for natural alternatives which may be less harmful.
- Ventilating your home by opening whenever you have to use chemicals.
- Vacuuming and dusting often to remove dust particles.
Combined with a high quality air conditioner, these simple measures could make all the difference.
Do you want to improve the air quality in your home? Browse Carrier Air’s full range of split system air conditioners here.