Your HVAC unit should always provide clean, fresh air, and an environment where you feel comfortable.
HVAC systems have been wrongfully blamed many times for causing problems that do not exist or unrelated health issues. Most health myths related to them have been busted. However, there is a grain of truth in all the nonsense people take for granted: your AC could actually affect your health and the air quality.
Let’s see what are the causes of bad indoor air and how you can change that by fixing your HVAC problems.
The Temperature Varies too Much
One of the most common causes of AC-related health issues or physical discomfort is a variation in temperature that is too great. Whether it is because of a malfunction in the AC unit or because people overdo the heating or cooling, big temperature differences from the outdoor air to the indoor air cause discomfort on the long-term.
If you feel like your air conditioning is too powerful and you need to turn it off soon, it might be just that. Try to adjust the flow of the air to a lower setting, as it will improve the performance of the machine and your comfort.
Your HVAC Unit Releases an Unpleasant Odor
This is a clear sign that your HVAC unit needs some maintenance asap. If strange odors are emanating from your ducts, your health could be at risk from fungi, mold, poor air flow, and even contamination from pests or a small animal that found its end in your duct system.
As soon as you notice a bad smell, call a professional who can inspect the ventilation system and stop using it until the issue is found. If odors are released even when the unit is on standby, consider temporary blocking the ducts and getting fresh air by opening the windows.
The Air Humidity Is Not Effectively Controlled by Your System
If you only take temperature into consideration when adjusting the settings of your AC unit, you might miss a very important aspect: the control of indoor humidity. If your AC unit is not equipped with a hygrometer (an instrument that shows the level of humidity in the air), get one separately and check its values.
If the AC unit cools the air too fast, humidity won’t have time to go anywhere and the result could be quite uncomfortable. Again, an oversized or overzealous unit is usually the culprit. This needs to be fixed.
Your HVAC unit should always provide clean, fresh air, and an environment where you feel comfortable, and barely noticing the system itself. When you start noticing drastic changes in the air and in your comfort levels, it is time to call a professional and have a diagnosis. If ignored, an AC unit that spoils the indoor air can eventually lead to pain, discomfort, allergies, asthma, rashes, etc.
Monitoring your HVAC system’s performance and having regular maintenance done should prevent these issues, so make sure to not skip the yearly routine check-up. Give Engineered Solutions a call 24/7 at (314) 394-0802.