It is all too easy to underestimate the heat, even during these warm summer months. However, you would be surprised by how many fatalities have occurred even in the past decade due to high temperatures, both in the United States and around the world. The numbers are quite staggering and concerning when you think about how little attention is brought to this issue.

That might make you wonder what we are doing to mitigate this issue. Well, one that is quite common, but we don’t think about much is air conditioning. You might not realize just how much your unit does for you beyond just making your living spaces more comfortable. If you want to find out, be sure to stick around!

Air Conditioning Replacement in Kettering, Ohio

heat

When it comes to heat waves and the potential illnesses you can get, there is not a lot of information to go off of. However, there are a few that I would like to make note of today so that you can be prepared just in case. This is particularly relevant if your unit does end up breaking and you need to have it replaced.

The Facts

First is heat stroke, one that we hear about most often out of them all. Some symptoms include red and blotchy skin with a heightened heart rate and pulse. In addition to that, you may experience dizziness, a headache, nausea, confusion, and a high body temperature. If your internal temperature rises above one hundred degrees, it is probably a good idea to go to the hospital or even call an ambulance if it is severe enough.

Shifting gears to a few things that are less dangerous in small doses are heat rash and sunburn. Most of us are quite familiar with the latter. Itchy, peeling, and red skin that is sensitive to the touch and quite painful in bad cases. It’s not a fun experience, that’s for sure.

While we can treat it with something like aloe vera, being in a hot space can exacerbate the problems. With the rash, it is commonly denoted by small red bumps across the affected areas.  They can easily be mistaken for pimples, but they are not. They’re caused by over-exposure to hot temperatures.

The final one I’ll cover today is heat exhaustion. It is usually characterized by symptoms such as clammy or pale skin that is cool to the touch, excessive sweating, nausea and/or vomiting, dizziness and headaches, muscle cramps, tiredness, and fainting in some cases. Usually, it’s recommended that you move to a cooler area if you are experiencing it.

How Air Conditioning Helps

Now that you know some of the dangers of being exposed to high temperatures for long periods of time, let’s discuss how having air conditioning can help with prevention and even treatment for some of them. You see, having a cool interior to our homes and office buildings, as well as areas of recreation, is a very useful innovation. It’s helped to stop a lot of people from getting sick.

Besides just offering a way to cool off in the summer, they also serve as a filter for our air. They are a large and influential factor in the air quality of our buildings, even if we don’t realize it. That is why if something goes wrong, it’s important to get a replacement. You can look at resources like this one, https://www.bakerhvacdayton.com/ac-installation-kettering-oh/, if you are in the Ohio area and would like to learn more.

Besides protecting ourselves, it also serves as a shield for our belongings. This might be electronics, but most types of furniture can be damaged by the heat. Wood warps and phones or gaming systems can short circuit if left alone for too long without a reprieve.

When to Look at Repairs or Replacement

This is the hard part with air conditioning units. While it’s easy to dismiss it as “well, just get services when the thing stops working,” the reality is a lot more complicated. If you catch problems early on, you can end up saving yourself a lot of time and trouble as well. So, here are some things to watch out for.

Problems Indicating a Replacement

I would say the most important thing is probably noting any odd smells. A musty odor indicates a mold problem, which could be potentially quite harmful to the residents in the home or building. That is especially true if anyone has any pre-existing health conditions such as asthma that hinder their ability to breathe.

Mold spores can cause severe complications in conditions like that, so don’t leave it alone if you do notice it. It may be a case where a replacement is necessary, because the unit cannot be cleaned or salvaged effectively. It’s best not to take unneeded risks in cases like this.

Another one that I think is good to know is to watch your electricity or energy bills. If they are spiking seemingly without reason, that might be a signal that something is going on with your air con unit. If it has to work harder to perform the same job, costing you more money in the process, you might want to have it looked at. There may be a broken component.

The last problem I’ll highlight here today is strange noises coming from it that are far from normal. This could be clattering or banging. More often, though, it is rattling, squeaking, grinding, squealing, or grating.  

This could show a problem with the compressor or the coolant system. However, again, it is probably a good idea to hire a professional to look at it. Trying to DIY a repair or a replacement like this could easily result in breaking the unit further.

Conclusion

So, this summer, be sure to watch out for these common signs of illnesses caused by heat and for symptoms of a broken air conditioning unit. Hopefully, this guide has offered you some useful advice on both fronts!

 

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About the Author: Ashley Edwards