Poorly maintained air conditioners ‘a health risk’

AIR conditioners which are not regularly maintained and cleaned can pose a “very serious health risk”, a doctor has warned.

Yağmur Aldağ, a respiratory diseases specialist at Lefkoşa State Hospital, said air conditioners with poorly cleaned filters increase the risk of catching lung and chest diseases like Legionnaires’ disease.

Dr Aldağ explained that “resistant microorganisms remain and multiply in air conditioner filters that are not regularly cleaned” and that the diseases caused by these microorganisms are only revealed “through tests performed when there is a suspicion of an illness”.

Indicating that vehicle air conditioners should be treated similarly, Dr Aldağ noted that the pollen filter in car air conditioners should be replaced when a change is due.

Elderly people are at a “much greater risk” of becoming ill from poorly maintained air conditioners, Dr Aldağ warned.

“In places with central air conditioning systems, infrequent maintenance and uncleaned air conditioners can cause all respiratory diseases, including Covid-19,” he said.

“For example, an air conditioner without regular maintenance and cleaning in a hospital room where a patient is being treated for Covid-19 can cause the spread of the virus to the whole hospital.” Stating that it is necessary to avoid public places as much as possible and to keep the air conditioner at “room temperature”, Dr Aldağ concluded: “You should spend as little time as possible in public places, especially those with central air conditioning systems.

“In addition, the air conditioner setting should not be below room temperature just to try and ‘make it colder’. Being in public places increases the risk of infection.

“An air conditioner with a lowered temperature triggers or aggravates many diseases, especially asthma, because it lowers the humidity in the air.”