How AC Affects Your Health

How AC Affects Your Health

Air conditioning, as we all know too well in Fort Worth, is a non-negotiable necessity. It gets hot here in Texas, and while the sunny weather and arid climate is part of why we all love it so well here, we still need a little reprieve from time-to-time, and the shade can only offer so much. However, just like every modern day necessity, it’s pertinent to ask how this or that can affect your long-term health. Ever since the asbestos scares in the 70s, it’s natural to question some of the contents of what seemed once to be inane objects like building materials, paints, popcorn ceilings and, yes, appliances.

So if you’re curious about the long-term effects that having your AC cranked could have on your health, Arthur Hagar is here to shed some light on the subject. We’ve been installing HVAC systems since 1949, and we fancy that we’re pretty familiar with the ebb and flow of the industry at this point. So, trust us when we say, we won’t kid around about the health of your, your family and even your dog when it comes to the products we serve our community. 

Benefits of Air Conditioning

We know, the benefits of air conditioning are numerous. It’s also an appliance that, at least for us, still carries some prestige. Not too long ago, air conditioning was a rare amenity and was highly valued because of the myriad benefits it offered, chief among those being that your armpits wouldn’t put stains on your clothes that were hard to get out. But, there’s actually a variety of health benefits that air conditioning also provides. 

The main health benefit of air conditioning units has to be that it can curtail the heat and thus, potential heat exhaustion. The temperatures have been going wonky all over the world recently, and now is one of the more important times to put a value on keeping ourselves cool, especially as weather and freak heat waves make everything feel unpredictable. This is especially important for folks who are less heat tolerant like children and the elderly. Hot temperatures can break-down anyone’s will and make you feel sluggish and gross, but for others heat can result in heat stroke and dehydration. This isn’t just true for children and elderly folks either, folks who have issues like certain immune disorders and head disease can suffer in the heat in all new ways and make their symptoms from their chronic diseases far worse. Obviously, air conditioning keeps all of that under control, even on extremely hot days where you can only get the temperature so low. 

Controlling Humidity

Another major benefit of air conditioning is the ability it grants to control the humidity in a building. A perfectly sized system for your space will be able to both cool and reduce unwanted humidity. This is good, as high-humidity doesn’t just make the air feel sticky and fetid, it also helps bacteria grow and can make infection far more likely. This is important to note, because an AC unit that hasn’t had much in the way of preventative maintenance done on it will start to produce mold and fungus, especially if the air is too humid. This is, obviously, not healthy to be breathing in and spreading around your home. This is where the myth comes from that you can be “allergic to air conditioning.” You can’t be. You can be allergic to the fungus, mold and bacteria that an unchecked and monitored AC unit can create and blow around an office building or home, though. Proper maintenance at the right intervals can be the difference between an office building or house full of sick people from what they’re breathing in, or a cooled down oasis where work is getting down and relationships built successfully. 

In turn, low humidity is also something that’s best balanced. A good air conditioning unit will keep that balance in any space. However if the AC isn’t cared for properly and at regular intervals, it can result in producing low humidity environments within buildings. This might seem like the lesser of two evils, however, low humidity is famous for causing more than just discomfort. In fact, while your skin and hair might dry out and become itchy, folks with respiratory illnesses will end up in worse shape. Of course, they’ll feel dried out as well, but their lungs could suffer, especially for folks with issues like asthma. The primary and usual victims that suffer from low humidity, however, are usually people who are prone to sinus infections. As low humidity often irritates their respiratory system and their more delicate sinus system. 

The Conclusion

While air conditioning has it’s potential faults, all of those can be monitored and prevented with proper maintenance and upgrades on the HVAC system when they’re needed. Indeed, there are no bad side effects from a well-maintained air conditioning unit. So, how do you go about keeping your HVAC system clean to ensure that you, nor your family, or employees in the case of commercial units, are ever the victim of those previously mentioned side effects? Invest in a relationship with a high-quality HVAC company. 

Contact Arthur Hagar

As an HVAC company, we’ve been serving the Fort Worth area since 1949, installing HVAC systems and maintaining appliances to help keep people safe and comfortable in the sometimes unforgiving Texas weather we all know too well. We pride ourselves on our dedication to our work, which is why you won’t find a technician among us who isn’t licensed, bonded and insured. Beyond that, we make sure that keeping your temperature controlling appliances in their best shape every year is not an inexpensive prospect.

That’s why we run discounts on the regular to help support families in the community and make our business relationship a more affordable one to keep. In fact, if we find you need a new AC unit because of unmanageable repairs, it’s the wrong size for your area, or it’s using freon, we’re careful to ensure there are financing options available to you. Reach out to us to schedule an initial consultation and make sure that you and your family remain healthy, happy, and in total air conditioned comfort for years to come. 

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ARTHUR HAGAR AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING
5020 SE LOOP 820
FORT WORTH, TX 76140
Phone: 817-478-1122
Email: info@arthurhagar.com
License # TACLB12063E
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