The current coronavirus lockdown in Hawaii means that large segments of the population are spending more time indoors than ever before.
One of the most important things to have while being locked inside is healthy indoor air quality, but that is often not the case. Healthy indoor air quality is especially important for people with pre-existing or chronic medical conditions.
This lockdown has brought attention to the importance of an efficient air conditioning system. Although just having air conditioning can keep you comfortable, poorly functioning air conditioning produces adverse health effects.
As we have become more aware of respiratory issues due to this virus, it is time to assess the efficiency of our air conditioning units. We must get them repaired so our stay indoors can be a healthy one.
Effects of Poor Indoor Air Quality
It is estimated that, under normal conditions, we spend 90% of our lives indoors. With mandatory lockdown, that number is closer to 100%. This makes our reliance on healthy indoor air quality more fundamental than ever.
Recent reports by governmental agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), emphasize that it is more likely for people to suffer from poor air quality indoors than while outdoors. Although there are many causes of poor indoor air quality, much of it is due to inadequate HVAC systems.
Pollutants in your air conditioner automatically circulate throughout your home. If there is dust or mold in your unit, you can experience respiratory problems. If you already suffer from asthma or bronchitis, mold and dust in your air conditioning may intensify your reactions.
Whatever your state of health, air conditioning contaminated with biological pollutants will affect you. You might experience a slight cough, a headache, or irritated eyes. However, you may experience something more serious, like a full-scale asthma attack.
Humidity and Other Impediments to Indoor Air Quality
Living in a high humidity region as Hawaii gives you ample reason to keep your air conditioning in optimal working order. Humidity is a breeder of mold and helps it grow in air ducts and in various locations throughout the house.
Your air conditioning should not only cool your home but dehumidify it as well. Here are some issues that experts in air conditioning services give attention to for the benefits of an efficient system.
1. Replace Dirty or Clogged Air Filters
Air filters regulate the flow of air into your unit. Over time they become dirty and can fill with contaminants. Dust, hair, and mold can build up in your air filters and be distributed throughout your house. Dirty air filters can cause the motor to work harder, which raises the cost of your electrical bill and reduces the life of the unit. This can also hurt your indoor air quality.
Air filters are one of the easiest parts of your air conditioner to fix but also one of the most important.
2. Check to Make Sure Coils are Clean
Unless someone is trained in air conditioning services, they will not know what a coil is, what it does, or how to make sure it is operating sufficiently. That is why it is important to maintain a regular schedule of air conditioner maintenance by a trusted professional.
Your air conditioner’s evaporator and condenser coils remove heat from your living space and replace it with the cool air you enjoy. These coils do a lot of the work of cooling down your home, but it is pretty complicated. This is why you need to call a professional to make sure they remain clean and free of frost and ice buildup.
Dirty filters can cause a frozen coil.
3. Look After Your Compressor
Another complicated piece of machinery, the compressor is considered the heart of your air conditioner. It helps the refrigerant fluid absorb the heat from your house and transform it into a cooling vapor. Most compressors last an average of 10 years, but modern compressors can last as long as 20 years with proper maintenance.
Not enough ventilation around the compressor, or a buildup of dirt, can cause your compressor to overheat. Also, a lack of refrigerant can cause your compressor to overwork. Either of these things can diminish the capacity of your compressor and eventually kill it.
If your air conditioner is blowing hot air or does not cool your home when it is on, you may have a refrigerant problem, which may become a compressor problem.
This is something only a trained professional can diagnose.
The Key to Efficient Air Conditioning is Maintenance
Most people don’t think about their air conditioner until something goes wrong. By then it may be too late to do anything but replace it, which could be prohibitively expensive. The best thing to do before your system breaks down is to maintain a regular schedule of maintenance.
The expert technicians at Island Comfort Air Conditioning will know which plan is right for you and will help you turn your inefficient air conditioning unit into a top-of-the-line air cooling system.
This is why regular maintenance is so important for you now:
- Keeping cool during lockdown: Nobody is sure when lockdown in Hawaii is going to end, so we need to keep as safe and sane as possible. With heat and humidity rising in the coming months, a fully working air conditioning unit is essential.
- Clean air circulation throughout the home: As coronavirus works primarily against the respiratory system, it is more important than ever to keep clean air circulating throughout your home.
- Assess the system before something goes wrong: Your air conditioner might seem like it is working sufficiently now, but you will never know if some part of it needs attention until it is checked by a trained professional.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has declared HVAC as an essential service, which demonstrates how important your air conditioning services in Hawaii are during this lockdown.
Let Island Comfort Air Conditioning Keep You Cool and Safe
This is not a time to panic, but you might want to consider the possibility of all the pollutants a dirty, old air conditioning system can subject you to. Indoor air quality is a very important subject right now, and it becomes more important the longer we are mandated to stay inside.
Call Island Comfort Air Conditioning in Kauai, Kona, or Oahu and let us help you keep cool.
