Timberline Blog

Health Benefits of a Central Air Conditioning System

June 30, 2017 by Timberline

With summer heating up in Colorado, people are relying on their air conditioners to stay cool. But did you know there are other benefits to central air conditioning than just maintaining a comfortable temperature in your home or workplace?

Health Benefits of a Central Air Conditioning System

A central air conditioning system can make a positive difference in your health. It creates a clean and healthy environment, especially when it comes to dealing with problems like allergies, respiratory conditions, dust, humidity, and more. And, many of those suffering with debilitating conditions experience health improvements from air conditioning, greatly improving their quality of life. Even those in good health can be subject to the stresses of air temperature and invisible airborne particles. Outside air pollution is a valid reason to ensure you are breathing clean air inside.

A Central Air Conditioning System is the Key

Although conventional air conditioning systems may adequately control the temperature in one room, central air conditioners offer one major benefit that individual window units cannot: improving indoor air quality throughout the entire home.

Central air is one of the most effective and efficient ways to circulate cool air throughout the house in contrast to window air conditioning systems. Since centralized units send cool air to every room through the air duct and vent system, each room is cooled simultaneously instead of cooling just one room. When ambient air is pulled into the air handler unit from each room through return-air ducts, the system filters the air that passes through it effectively removing airborne particles such lint, allergens, dust, pollen, pet dander. Filtered air is then rerouted back to the rooms via a separate ductwork system. Modern systems and high-end air filters can even trap the most microscopic pollutants, helping to further increase the air quality of the home.

How a Central Air Conditioning System Improves Your Environment

Everyone has basic conditions in their environments that need managing, and a well-maintained central air conditioner can play an important role in helping you achieve the following health benefits.

Improved respiratory conditions. Airborne particles are always in the air, but in an enclosed space like your home or office these particulates become trapped, causing problems for sufferers of asthma and similar respiratory conditions. In addition to particulates, fumes and other harmful gases can also become trapped inside. To improve the air quality and replace stale, particle-heavy air, an air conditioning system regularly removes the kind of contaminants and pollutants that aggravate respiratory conditions from pollen to dust mites.

Regulated humidity. Although the Colorado Front Range typically enjoys low humidity compared to other regions of the country, we can still experience those uncomfortably humid days. Central air conditioning, however, helps to keep humidity levels steady and within a healthy range. Much like temperature, relative air humidity is something that should be kept not too high, not too low. An environment with overly high humidity becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and other potentially harmful microorganisms, while excessively low humidity creates dry air that aggravates dry skin conditions and can also dry out the sinuses.

Reduced fumes and odors. A bad smell is unpleasant enough, but it’s often an indicator of a more serious problem. Stale air, fumes, carelessly stored cleaning chemicals, and other gases can have an effect on health if they permeate indoor air and become stagnant. Basic odors are indicators of poor air quality. These smells also indicate there are chemically active particles in the air. While these situations are not toxic, they are also not helpful to respiration. An efficient air conditioning system should eliminate or at least mitigate most fumes and odors with the right filtration.

Consistent temperature. Many people underestimate the harmful effect that a too-hot, too-cold; or frequently fluctuating temperature can have on their health. Being overly warm or cold can quickly sap energy, contributing to chronic fatigue and depleting the immune system. A central air conditioning system maintains a constant room temperature throughout your home making the body easier to regulate its temperature and even better equipped to fight off infection.

Better sleep. Central air conditioners serve a bigger purpose than just beating the summertime heat. By setting your air conditioner at night between 70-74º F you are more likely to get a better night’s sleep. Falling asleep at a temperature within this range eliminates the need for your body to regulate its own temperature, because the air in the room is already cool. Keeping the room too hot or too cold will force your body to stay awake trying to adjust itself to the less-than-ideal conditions.

Enhanced immune system. Air conditioning keeps illness-spreading germs in check by keeping the indoor space cooler, working much the same way as a refrigerator does to limit microbial growth. Putting the body under repetitive stress by making it operate in extreme human environments is stressful on the immune system. Over a long period, for example, when trying to work in a stifling hot office in summer, your resistance is worn down and you are vulnerable to infections as well as being hot, uncomfortable, and drained at the end of the day.

Utilizing a central air conditioning system for the long term will help you realize all of its healthful benefits by reducing bodily stress over time and making the indoor environment the best it can be. There is definitely an improvement in well-being and productivity when the body is kept at an ambient temperature, and the home and workplace somewhere you want to be.

Maintenance of Your Central Air Conditioner System is Essential

To enjoy all the health benefits of central air conditioning, you’ll need to make sure that it’s in peak working condition. This includes quality filters replacing filters on a regular basis to provide healthy airflow, as well as annual service and cleaning by a HVAC professional.

Contact Timberline to keep your central air conditioning system in tip-top shape!

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