Clean the air conditioner once a year

If you do not maintain and clean the air conditioner regularly, you risk infection with the bacteria Legionella pneumophila, which causes Legionnaires' disease. This bacterium causes severe pneumonia, which can be fatal.

People with weakened immunity, chronic patients, smokers and alcoholics are especially susceptible to it.

It is transmitted by inhaling tiny droplets from the air conditioner. Symptoms of this dangerous disease are a dangerously high temperature, above 40 degrees, feeling cold, dry or productive cough, chest pain, headache, malaise and diarrhea. It is treated with strong antibiotics.

Poor air conditioning

Poor maintenance and inadequate use of air conditioning can cause allergic reactions of rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma to mold and mite allergens, as well as the possibility of symptoms of non-specific inflammation known as "sick building syndrome", typical of buildings with poor air conditioning.

Symptoms of "sick building syndrome" include dry eyes, throat, nose, allergy-like symptoms such as runny nose and watery eyes, difficulty breathing or flu-like symptoms. The syndrome is specific in that the symptoms disappear when the person moves away from the "infected" building, and return as soon as the person returns to that building.

In addition to allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma, poorly maintained air conditioners can rarely cause skin changes, from very mild to very intense. The cause is the creation of mold and mites in the devices themselves and the inhalation of allergens while the air conditioner is running.

In addition to allergens, viruses and bacteria, you should also pay attention to the difference in temperature between the cooled space and high outside temperatures. Note that the difference should not be more than seven degrees.

Regular maintenance

From that aspect, air conditioners benefit asthmatics and allergy sufferers because they filter the air, so they do not come into contact with them. The recommendation for cleaning home air conditioners is once or twice a year if you live in a larger city or a more polluted environment, and cleaning also applies to car air conditioners. Service the air conditioner in your car every two years.