We all know that air conditioning can be a lifesaver, especially in the heat of Australia’s summer! However, there are other benefits to air conditioners that you might not know about. For example, have you ever wondered: do air conditioners help purify air? And if so, how does air conditioning affect air quality?
When it comes to the air you breathe indoors, it’s not just the temperature that matters, but the quality of the air as well. We delve deeper and answer some of your burning questions.
http://cjni.com/why-you-need-to-know-about-facebook-and-dark-posts Why is Air Quality Important?
Although most people are ignorant of the facts, various studies have shown that poor-quality indoor air has a significant impact on humans:
- Since people spend nearly 90% of their time indoors, indoor pollutants can be 2-5 times higher than outdoor levels.
- Around 3.8 million people around the world die every year as a result of indoor air pollution.
- Particulate matter, found in poor-quality air, is the cause of many health issues, including but not limited to respiratory concerns like inflammation and asthma, decreased lung function capacity, and even cancer.
- Breathing in low-quality air reduces your productivity levels and makes it harder to focus.
Consequently, indoor air pollution is consistently ranked as one of the top five environmental risks to public health.
brazenly What Ruins Air Quality?
Acceptable indoor air quality creates a healthy indoor environment, which means that:
- There’s enough ventilation
- Contaminants in the air are controlled
- The temperature and humidity levels are comfortable and not distracting
Poor Ventilation
Ventilation plays a vital role in indoor air quality. This process entails bringing in outside air, conditioning it and mixing it with indoor air, distributing it throughout the building, and moving some portion of the indoor air outside again. Where one or more of these processes are lacking, the indoor air quality will be negatively impacted.
Abounding Contaminants
More often than not, the culprits of poor indoor air quality are inside the building. Other times, it could be coming from outside the building. Here are some of the most common culprits of bad air quality.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
These organic chemicals are emitted as gases from products or processes and are often the main culprits for poor indoor air quality. Typical VOC sources indoors include things like cleaning agents, disinfectants, air fresheners, dehumidifiers, and more. You can usually detect the presence of VOCs through smell.
Carbon monoxide (CO)
In contrast to VOCs, carbon monoxide is impossible to smell, taste, or see. At low concentrations, it could cause fatigue, chest pain, or impaired vision, while it could be fatal at high concentrations. Carbon monoxide can come from sources such as poorly maintained boilers or furnaces and car exhaust fumes.
Particulate matter (PM)
This is a blend of solid particles as well as liquid droplets—for example, soot, pollen, dust, or smoke.
The particles themselves frequently differ in size, but the ones to be most concerned about are the smallest because they can be inhaled, affecting the heart and lungs.
Outdoor PM, generated by construction, for example, enters into buildings via ventilation. On the other hand, indoors can be produced by fireplaces and other activities, such as cigarette smoking.
Some other pollutants to consider include:
- Radon
- Carbon dioxide
- Nitrogen dioxide
- Methane
Temperature and Humidity Levels
Temperature and humidity are considered essential air quality elements, mainly because of comfort. However, too-high temperature and humidity levels have consequences besides human discomfort. Mould can begin to form due to high humidity, which can be detrimental to your health.
What Can You Do to Improve Air Quality?
So, how can you improve indoor air quality? We give some pointers.
1. Identify and Control the Source
Controlling the pollutant source is usually the most effective approach to improving air quality as soon as you can identify a particular source.
2. Improve Indoor Ventilation
You’ll breathe easier knowing you’re safer when you increase indoor ventilation. Give your ventilation system a good check to see if any problems exist. This is not a once-off exercise, and you should do it as regularly as possible.
3. Clean the Air
Most air cleaning approaches are designed to remove particulates. For example, some cleaning systems collect pollutants from the air using electrostatic force, called electrostatic precipitation. Others trap and remove particles using a filter (called particulate filtration).
Does Air Conditioning Help Indoor Air Quality?
We take a closer look at how aircons like Mitsubishi’s range can help improve indoor air quality.
How Air Conditioners Work
1.First, the cooling fluid, which makes the air in your home feel cooler, moves from the condenser (located in your outside unit) to the evaporator (found in your inside unit).
2.The evaporator then evaporates that cooling fluid into gas while simultaneously pushing the cool air into your home and sucking the warm air out through your indoor unit.
3.The warm air is moved back to the outside unit, where it is cooled, and the process begins again.
How Do Air Conditioners Improve Air Quality?
Before air is dispersed into your home by your air conditioner, it passes through an air filter, which pulls out particles such as dirt, dust, bacteria, pet hair, and human hair. This air filter prevents debris from entering your home and from being breathed in by you and your family.
The Purpose of an Aircon Filter: Filter Air
An air conditioning filter is an important part of an aircon. Although the primary function of air conditioners is to produce fresh air and reduce heat in a room, they also sieve and remove pesky small particles like dust and pollen through their filters.
When using your air conditioner to clean air, a clean air conditioner filter is vital, so ensure that you clean it at least once every two weeks. Knowing how to clean your air conditioner filter is vital as any dirt reduces the aircon’s ability to clean air because it decreases the airflow through the filters.
Service your aircon frequently to ensure it functions optimally and to clear the air. You can also get an indoor air quality monitor to keep an eye on air quality.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Clean Air Technology
Clean Air Technology combines several different, specialised components, systems and functions within Mitsubishi Heavy Industries split systems designed to work together to improve indoor air quality.
Have Questions? Clean Air Conditioning Experts
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