The Impact of Hazardous AC Leaks

In early March 2015, a number of people working in a medical office in California were evacuated after complaining about a strange odor emanating from the building’s air conditioning vents.

According to a report from the Press Enterprise newspaper, a refrigerant leak was the cause of the odor, which was described as “pesticide-like.” The newspaper also reported that the leak had occurred just after repairs had supposedly been made to the air conditioning system.

13 people suffered from the refrigerant leak, the Riverside County Department of Health said. They were afflicted by eye and skin irritation as well as “partial respiratory distress.”

Building engineering officials said that the air conditioning system had recently been infused with 20 pounds of a refrigerant called chlorodifluoromethane. The leak evidently allowed the entire supply of new refrigerant to escape the system. Officials believe that this occurred when the system was reactivated.

It took a full day before the evacuation order was removed and people were permitted to return to the building.

While these kinds of incidents may not occur on what many would regard as a regular basis, it only takes one event to have a serious impact on a number of people. This particular leak affected a small group, but a similar situation could just as likely have occurred in a much larger building, with the potential to affect the health of a significantly sizable population.

Situations such as the one in California are an unfortunate reminder of the need to have air conditioning and heating systems serviced by qualified professionals who will not only take the time to perform the maintenance properly, but will also test the system to ensure that there are no leaks or defects.

Safety is always the number one priority. If you have questions or concerns about the maintenance of your air conditioning equipment, contact AC World today!