Air conditioners supply much-needed relief from the burning heat of summer. Anyone who has an AC unit will agree to that. However, could your AC unit be causing your nagging sinus problems?
Some factors can make your sinus worse. Fortunately, there are also things you can do to counteract them while still enjoying your air conditioner.
1. Blocked Air Filter
Your AC has an air filter that collects pollen, dust, and other debris. If you have pets, this filter will also collect hairs. Clogged filters won’t be as effective at capturing these things from the air. Instead, your AC unit may be circulating them around your house, making your allergies worse.
You can easily solve this problem by ensuring that your filter is clear enough to capture these small things. Check your filter every month and replace it every second month. If you have lots of pets, you may need to change it monthly. If you don’t know how to do this, an HVAC professional to show you.
2. Low Humidity
AC units remove a lot of humidity from the air in your home. When the humidity level drops below 30%, your nose can become dry and irritated.
You can adjust the thermostat and humidistat on your AC unit by yourself, or call an HVAC technician to check the settings if you are unsure.
3. Sudden Blasts of Cold Air
A sudden temperature change can cause your nose to start running, especially if you sit too close to the vent of your air conditioner. The cold temperature triggers the secretion of nasal mucus.
4. Increased Exposure to Airborne Bacteria and Viruses
You may not know this, but AC units distribute droplets from coughs and sneezes. This spreads the viruses and bacteria quicker and allows them to land on surfaces where they can thrive. These germs will make their way to your eyes and mouth and make you sick.
Call one of our technicians at S.O.S. Heating & Cooling to replace your filter with one that has an efficiency rating higher than 17 to remove the germs.
5. Poor Indoor Air Quality from Dirty Air Conditioners
A build-up of dust and mold on the evaporator and AC condenser coils can cause allergens to be released into your home during a cooling cycle. When you come into contact with these allergens, your nose produces more mucus and swells up. This can give you headaches and other sinus-related symptoms.
Keeping your AC condenser coil and other components clean with regular AC maintenance can prevent this build-up.
A poorly-maintained AC unit and clogged-up AC filters could be causing serious health issues to you and your loved ones. This can easily be avoided if you schedule regular AC tune-ups. S.O.S. Heating & Cooling offers affordable products and services to assist you in keeping you and your family healthy. With us, air conditioning maintenance has never been easier!
Contact us for more information on how to keep dust and germs at bay.
