Is Your Outdated Air Conditioning System a Health Threat?

There are many reasons to replace and upgrade an old air conditioning unit, including lowering your utility bills and ensuring your home is as comfortable as possible. A recent article by the local Nashville ABC station, Is Air Conditioner to Blame for Williamson Co. Employee’s Legionnaire’s Disease? highlighted a harsher reality: out of date air conditioners can actually be health concerns.

The problem began at the county clerk’s office when a worker became sick and was taken to a local hospital. According to the sick person’s co-workers, the sick woman was in her 50s and had worked at the office for at least a decade. Her seat was next to a floor air conditioner that numerous employees agree is both old and filthy.

According to one employee, someone is always sick in the office. The air conditioner leaks, the filter is black, green, and slimy, and even the maintenance man was concerned when he looked at the filter and realized it hadn’t been changed in years.

The sick employee was diagnosed with Legionnaire’s disease, which is a severe form of pneumonia that’s often contracted by bacteria blowing out of old, poorly maintained HVAC systems. It can be a deadly disease if it’s not treated the right way –and right away! The illness cannot be passed from one person to another.

To be clear, it has not been confirmed that the air conditioners in the office are the direct cause of the woman’s illness. However, another co-worker is on the record stating that almost all of the 20+ women who work in the front units have breathing problems.

The mayor has been notified and has ordered testing on the building. He says, “Anytime you get something like that, you are concerned because the safety of the tax payer and the safety of our employees is utmost, so we will try and determine if there is indeed some bacteria in that water.”

The air conditioner is very old and was not well maintained, but recently a bad fan motor and wheel were replaced and the coils were cleaned. That just goes to show that putting temporary fixes on old units is not the magical fix some companies would like it to be.

The good news for companies with older units is that installing a new ductless air conditioning system is more affordable and easier than you may think. AC-World is here to help with the transition and ensure your home or office has clean, freshly cooled air.