If you live in a hot country, air conditioners can be a lifesaver. As the temperatures begin to soar, it’s super easy to just crank up your air con and escape the scorching heat outside. No longer do you need to worry about sweating off your makeup, turning up to your meeting with sweat patches, or having to open your windows up to the elements (and the bugs). Instead, you can sit cool as a cucumber in your home or office, without sweat patches, and a full face of makeup and thank the gods for your air conditioning unit. But is using your air conditioning in the summer really that great? Here are some of the pros and cons.
Pro: AC reduces the chance of heat stroke
As much as it may be nice to go out and sunbathe for a few hours in the summer, prolonged exposure to intense heat and sunlight can be extremely dangerous and result in numerous health related issues such as heat stroke, and death. If you have the ability to turn on the air conditioning in a sweltering room, you will reduce your chance of developing heat stroke as you can create your own cool refuge from the heat. Many researchers have looked into the effects of AC and heat stroke and found that AC is the best protecting factor when faced with death and heat-related illnesses. However, it is important to remember to always keep up your fluids in the summer and keep drinking water!
Con: AC will increase your energy bills
Unfortunately, air-conditioning units don’t run by themselves, and require an electricity source to work. If you have a central AC unit in your house and use it regularly, this will drastically increase your energy bills – leaving you out of pocket (and just a little bit colder!) Although it may seem desirable to have a constantly cool flow of air throughout your whole home and office, this will obviously increase your energy bills. If you wish to save money, consider investing in smaller, separate window AC units which can be turned on and off when you wish.
Pro: AC can ease your symptoms of Asthma
When it comes down to it, air-conditioned air is not the same air as you breathe outside. With all of the treatments inside of it and the cooler temperature, AC air is beneficial for those who suffer from the symptoms of asthma and allergies. According to researchers, the AC units are able to filter out pollen from all of the trees, plants, and flowers outside – meaning your house will be pollen-free!
Con: AC can cause mold, fungus, and bacteria to grow
Unfortunately, air-conditioning units blow out fresh, clean air, but what they leave behind them isn’t so fresh. When used, moisture builds up within the air conditioning unit and in between the blades and coils, which creates a condensation. And just as we know from the winter, condensation means mold. If condensation forms within the unit, this could result in mold and fungus blowing out into the air – which can then cause mold in your room, as well as offering bacteria the chance to reside in your lungs. Long-term issues like this can result in pneumonia and other breathing problems, such as Legionella.
If you’re undecided on whether you wish to continue using your AC unit or buy one in the first instance, it’s important to weigh up the pros and cons. If you have the money to run a full AC unit all year round, you need to ensure that you clean the filter regularly and get it checked to prevent any negative effects.
