Mood booster, health-risk reducer, quality of life improver, air conditioners are lit with convenience and life functionality. Temperature affects different facets of our lives much more than we realize, from allergies to food, mood and health. But how much do we really know about how air conditioners improve our quality of life? Is it really worth the investment?
Let’s look at the benefits of air conditioning in our lives:
Healthier Indoor Air
Air conditioners circulate and filter air, removing dust, pollutants, and moulds. This minimizes the irritants that trigger an attack for people suffering from allergies or asthma. Moreover, due to concerns about the airborne transmission of certain diseases, most air conditioning systems have adopted new technologies to minimize this. One popular technology is Bipolar Ionization. This technology basically deactivates harmful substances like viruses and bacteria and prevents them from passing through the air filter.
Healthier Environment and Better Sleep
Air conditioners help keep a healthier environment altogether. In the 1840s, physician and inventor Dr. John Gorrie of Florida proposed the idea of cooling cities to relieve residents of “the evils of high temperatures.” Gorrie believed that cooling and making patients more comfortable helps in avoiding diseases like Malaria.
A cool room helps us get better sleep, too. Our core body temperature is also a critical factor in getting to and staying asleep. A too hot (or too cold) room interferes with natural temperature regulation which doctors say functions best at between 65 and 75 degrees.
Reduces Humidity
One of the main functions of an air conditioner is reducing humidity in a room. Humidity is the amount of water in the air which can cause as much discomfort as high temperatures. High humidity causes us to sweat, making the air supersaturated with moisture. When air is heavy in humidity sweat takes time to evaporate. This evaporation is one of the body’s most important mechanisms for maintaining thermal equilibrium.
Prevents Food Spoilage
A cool room can also prevent food spoilage compared to a hot and humid room. This will also slow down bacteria from forming which will help in keeping your food safe.
Protects Furniture
A cool room with apt humidity from air conditioning protects home furniture, decor and art. Heat and humidity can wreak havoc on your wooden furniture as they can lead to warping over time. Leather and other types of fabric are more susceptible to rotting or build-up of moulds as they absorb moisture. You can prolong the life of furniture and there will be less need to replace them saving you bucks.
Longer Lifespan for Electronic Devices
The primary function of an air conditioner is to produce fresh air and reduce heat in a room. If you want your computers and other electronic devices to function better, avoid overheating, and have a longer lifespan, having them in a cooler area will do the trick.
Workplace Productivity and Decreases Accident
According to an article in Scientific American, the energy the body consumes trying to cool itself down reduces our ability to think and reason. When workplaces have comfortable and cool temperatures, people are able to work better and make better decisions.
A lot of people now are working from home and having a cool and comfortable place to work takes a load off your shoulders when you are able to work in comfort, leading to more tasks ticked off your must-do list.
Accidents in a workplace are also influenced by temperature, studies also show. A study published in Nature Medicine looked at the impact warmer temperatures have on increased deaths from injury. The research cited that higher temperatures are associated with irritability, and increases in conflict and interpersonal violence. This research has shown each degree celsius increase in annual temperatures is linked to nearly a 6% average increase in homicides. Another study showed domestic violence rates increased by 40% when the daily maximum temperature exceeded 34℃.
Keeping workplaces and our homes cool, especially during hot months, is crucial in having a more productive,stress-free, working environment.
Less Insects and Mosquito Bites
When the air conditioner is switched on, it is advised to keep the windows closed, and keeping the windows closed naturally prevents entry of insects and parasites. But did you know that aircon filters also keep out insects? In fact, they are far more effective than a screen in an open window.
Moreover, air conditioners help prevent mosquito bites. Mosquitoes breed and spread in a temperature range of 25–38 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is lower, then, mosquitoes become inactive.
Air conditioning creates a breeze that makes it harder for mosquitoes to fly. This is the same reason why mosquitoes do not tend to bite you when it is windy. Air conditioning also dries the air by reducing moisture and mosquitoes seek out moist locations.
Finally, if you use evaporative air conditioning then you often find an increase in mosquito presence, although they may not bite often. This is usually due to such a system requiring a window to be open for such a system to be efficient, as well as making the air moist.
Conclusion
Air conditioning is essential for maintaining thermal comfort in indoor environments, particularly in hot and humid climates. Today, air conditioning and dehumidification, has become a necessity in commercial and residential buildings. Not just because of their functionality but also their contributions to physical and mental well-being.
