The Health Benefits of Air Conditioning

AC contractors should be aware of all the health benefits of air conditioning in order to counteract their often negative portrayal in the press, as Tony Ellerker of Blakes Building Services explains.
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Air conditioning doesn’t have the best reputation. You only have to google something like “health risks air conditioning” to see an awful lot of scaremongering from various sections of the press on the subject, much of it unfounded or at least misinterpreted. As it stands, though, it’s somewhat understandable that your customers may be a little chary about installing a new AC system.

So what’s a good contractor to do? Well, the best approach is to combat negativity with positivity. If a potential customer has heard lots about how an air conditioning system may be harmful to them, your best approach is to come back with the ways one can be a positive influence. Here are a few key points worth memorising...

​Asthma is an unpleasant condition to say the least: often uncomfortable, sometimes life-threatening, and unfortunately permanent. Sufferers of asthma and similar respiratory conditions can find their symptoms relieved by a well-maintained air conditioning system, which regularly removes from the air the kind of contaminants and pollutants that aggravate the condition, from pollen to dust mites.

Many people underestimate the pernicious effect that a too-hot, too-cold or frequently fluctuating temperature can have on their health. Being overly warm or cold can quickly use up a person’s energy, leaving them chronically fatigued and running down their immune system. An AC system maintains a constant pleasant room temperature which puts the body on an even keel and makes a person better equipped to fight off infection.

There are also more serious conditions that can be helped by a good AC system. The risk of heatstroke and heat exhaustion shoots up for people cooped up in hot buildings on hot days. An AC system takes the edge off the hottest part of the day, and for vulnerable people this can be a literal lifesaver.

​A bad smell is unpleasant enough by itself, but it’s often also an indicator of a deeper and more serious problem – stale air, fumes, carelessly stored cleaning chemicals. All of these things can have an effect on health if they permeate the air and it is allowed to become stagnant. An efficient AC system will deal with this as a matter of course.

​Much like temperature, relative air humidity is something that should be kept at the “Goldilocks” level – not too high, not too low. An environment with overly high humidity becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and other potentially harmful micro-organisms, while excessively low humidity creates dry air that aggravates dry skin conditions and can also dry out the sinuses. An AC system keeps humidity steady and within the healthy range.

Tony Ellerker has worked in the building services and construction industry for over twenty years. He is currently the director of Blakes M&E Building Services, who provide pre-planned maintenance, reactive repairs and installations of all mechanical and electrical systems throughout London and the South East.