Legionnaires’ Disease: Should I Be Worried?

Many people are asking the question: can my air conditioner make me sick? There are lots of conflicting arguments out there, mainly due to a lack of knowledge on the subject and how the disease is contracted. With air conditioning there are plenty of myths about diseases and microbes in the air which gets people worried about how their air conditioning system could impact their health.

In actuality, there are plenty of health benefits to air conditioning systems – for a start, they are extremely useful for those with allergies and for people who are sensitive to dust in the air. But while the fresh air circulated around your home or commercial premises is meant to be germ-free, there are still people who claim otherwise – one regularly repeated myth about air conditioning is the possibility of contracting Legionnaires’ disease.

Legionnaires’ Disease

Legionella is a type of bacteria which can cause serious problems for people and have proven to be fatal in some cases if it is introduced into our bodies. Legionnaires’ disease takes on flu-like symptoms, attacking your body and giving you a fever, aching muscles and making you feel tired.

The reason some people associate air conditioning with this disease is that air conditioning systems often transport water microbes in their current. It is this misunderstood aspect of air conditioning which leads to fears over the disease. In order to cultivate legionella, it usually requires a temperature between 20℃ and 45℃ to take hold, and is actually more prevalent where rust, algae or limescale is present. The fear is that the legionella bacteria will spread and grow ending up in the air circulation, invisible to the eye and causing panic amongst people using air conditioning.

This, however, is a myth. At Airway Air Conditioning there is no moisture in the air cooling systems we provide and install, removing any risk of harmful bacteria having anywhere to grow, develop or flourish.

Regular Maintenance

If you are in charge of a commercial premises, then you are ultimately responsible for the health and safety of everyone in the building. This means it is your duty to have the air conditioning system regularly checked and maintained by professional air conditioning experts.

The things a professional will look out for includes dirt in the filters, tears in the ducting or pipes (where dirt and dust can enter the system) and any area which might require cleaning or repairing. With this – and a whole lot more besides – a professional maintenance team will ensure your system performs to its optimum.

While it is impossible for your system to cultivate legionella bacteria, it is still important to have your system checked. Improving the air quality in your building benefits everyone, and maintenance could even help to lower your energy bills.

If you’d like to learn more about how air conditioning maintenance from Airway Air Conditioning could help improve air quality and performance, or if you’d like to arrange for a member of our team to visit your site, simply contact us today and we’ll be happy to help.