The air conditioner is making me feel ill. How can I avoid this?

A sore throat, a blocked nose, irritated eyes… If your air conditioning sometimes makes you feel as though you’ve gone straight from the beach to the frozen food aisle, it might not be a coincidence ❄️ When it’s poorly maintained or incorrectly adjusted, air conditioning can cause discomfort or even contribute to certain minor health issues. Fortunately, a few simple checks can often help prevent these problems.

THE POTENTIAL CAUSES FOR THIS FAULT:

• Incorrect temperature setting

• Clogged dust filters

• Lack of air-conditioning maintenance

• Incorrectly directed airflow

WARNING
Before you do anything to your appliance, make sure you disconnect it from the power supply.
There is a risk of electric shock.
Wear suitable gloves if you carry out dismantling.
Risk of cuts.

An incorrect temperature setting

In the height of summer, it’s very tempting to turn your living room into a polar station. However, too great a temperature difference between indoors and outdoors can put a strain on the body and cause headaches, muscle tension and, in some cases, a cold or a sore throat.

Clogged filters that release dust and allergens

This is one of the most common causes! Air conditioning filters trap dust, pollen and other particles in the air. But when they become clogged or are poorly maintained, they can actually release these particles back into the room.
The result: sneezing, eye irritation or breathing difficulties may occur, particularly in people with allergies.
Regular cleaning of the filters is therefore essential to maintain healthier air in your home. However, they wear out and lose their effectiveness over the years, or become difficult to clean properly. In this case, it may be worth replacing the air conditioning filters to restore better air quality and maintain the performance of your system.

Buy a filter for your air conditioner here

A lack of maintenance encourages damp and unpleasant odours

A poorly maintained air-conditioning system can cause moisture to build up in certain parts of the unit. This can encourage the growth of mould or bacteria, which cause unpleasant odours and make the air less pleasant to breathe.

If your air conditioner is giving off an unusual smell, it may be worth checking out our dedicated troubleshooting guide:

Why is the air conditioner producing an unpleasant smell?

An incorrectly directed draught can cause pain

Being exposed to cold air directly on your face, the back of your neck or your back for several hours can lead to muscle pain or stiffness. For greater comfort:

• Avoid directing the airflow directly at people in the room,
• Use the oscillation mode if your unit has one,
• Reduce the fan speed once the room has cooled down sufficiently.