Can Mold In Window Air Conditioners Make You Sick?
Can Mold In Window Air Conditioners Make You Sick?
Yes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mold in your home can cause symptoms such as throat irritation, wheezing, and congestion. Living with a moldy air conditioner raises your chances of contracting a respiratory infection.
If a window air conditioner is not cleaned regularly, mold will start to grow. The mold itself is not harmful to your health, but it can contribute to other diseases if you are exposed over an extended period of time.
If air conditioning is needed in your home or office and you need professional help with cleaning up the mold problem, you should contact a professional to have the job done right.
A reputable heating and cooling company will inspect your unit and take the appropriate actions to clean the unit properly so that no dust or dirt particles make their way into the system and make their way back out into the house or office.
There are a few steps you can take to keep mold from growing in your window air conditioner and making you sick. The most important step is to not leave any dirt or debris lying around the system. If there are any large boxes or bags that were used to store things, it is suggested that you remove them immediately.
Cleaning the air conditioner regularly is also important. Cleaning it every month will ensure that mold does not build up on the unit and make its way into your home or office, where it can cause other problems for you.
Another reason to get your air conditioner professionally cleaned or inspected every year is to check for any physical damage that can compromise your unit’s integrity. If a window air conditioner is not properly installed, it can become damaged, and the plastic pieces can begin to break down.
What Is The Average Life Of A Window Air Conditioner?
The average life of a window air conditioner is 8 to 10 years, but the life of your unit depends on many factors. The first factor is the quality of the air conditioner itself and how often it is used. The more often you use your AC unit, the faster it wears out.
The second factor is what kind of conditions you expose your unit to. If you live in an area where there are large amounts of dust or dirt in the air, it can be hard for a window AC to filter this out and keep working efficiently. These two factors directly contribute to how long an air conditioning system lasts before breaking down completely.
The lifespan of a window air conditioning unit depends partially on the quality of the unit itself. The higher the BTU, or cooling capacity, the longer your unit will last. Window units generally range from 6 to 14,000 BTUs. The type of compressor is also important when determining how long a system will last.
An inverter compressor allows you to operate your air conditioner at lower speeds and reduces wear and tear on your unit overall. Another factor that can affect the life of an AC is what kind of environment it is exposed to.
If it is exposed to odors, chemicals, or other things that can damage the unit and build up dirt in the system, those items will cause it to break down faster than a unit that is not exposed to these types of elements.
The life of the window air conditioner varies from person to person. Some people have units that last around 10 years while others may only have a system last 6 or 7 years before it begins to fail.
