Air conditioners are one of the leading contributors to global warming, and I know how much you are wondered to hear that. I felt the same when I first listened to that. Air conditioners have become an impeccable part of our lives, but how can they emit harmful gas to our environment?
The straight answer is it depends on how they are used or maintained. If you have a rusty air conditioner that doesn’t work properly, it may off-load refrigerants into the environment. In this article, we will discuss how the air conditioner in your room functions to make them dangerous for the environment. So, without further delay, let’s get the show on the road.
Contents
How Do Air Conditioners Produce Harmful Gases?
If you use the air conditioner in a confined space, that can cause an insufficient amount of natural air supply in the room, which can be dangerous. Ac repair professionals say that air conditioners produce harmful gases because they are designed in that way to function.
An air conditioner uses pumps and electric coils to transfer air between the interior and exterior of your house. The systems work by removing the hot air from the indoors, transferring them outside, and bringing cool air inside the house. The air movement is regulated by a refrigerant that functions by transforming liquid to gas and vice versa.
Although, air conditioners mainly off-load hydrofluorocarbons that are present in the refrigerant fluid, which may escape from the device if it has been running for an extended period of time. But hydrofluorocarbons aren’t toxic, but they actively contribute to raising the earth’s temperature significantly as they are very well-known greenhouse gas.
How HFCs Escape The Air Conditioner
You could expect the refrigerant to stay within the coils, but you can’t expect every one of them to stay. Some of them might just leak out of it. Although, the chances are pretty low for this to happen, so you can worry another day.
However, leakage isn’t the only way refrigerants can escape from the coils. Sometimes it depends on the hardware manufacture or production or design error that could lead to the formation of microscopic holes. The coils are not 100% sealed. Even prolonged usage could cause the refrigerant to come out through the holes.
How To Reduce The Hfcs Emitted By The Air Conditioner
Generally, HFCs get released in the atmosphere while your AC is in use. Well, you can reduce the amount of HFCs released in the environment just by reducing the number of coolants needed to cool down a room.
Even though HFCs is a greenhouse gas, they are a lot more eco-friendly compared to their ancestors. In the 70s, the coolants used in ACs were chlorine-based and were very harmful to the atmosphere. Despite, HFCs being eco-friendly, it is important to reduce the carbon footprint. You can reduce the HFCs release just by doing simple two things-
- Improve the insulation of your house
- Check for leaks in your air conditioner regularly
How Can I Reduce The Harmful Gases Released?
To be fair, you cannot single-handedly reduce the number of harmful gases released every day; it takes collective operation. But taking some precaution, you can do your part. Some things you should do include-
Buy Energy Star-Rated Appliances.
The USA government and the (EPA) environmental protection unit initiate the energy star program to determine the national energy efficiency standards. Energy-star certified appliances use 10-15% less energy compared to non-certified appliances.
Keep The Appliance In Good Shape.
The best way to keep the harmful gas emission level down is to reduce the amount of energy your air conditioner uses. You can keep it top-notch just by taking good care of your appliance.
Firstly, the thing you should do is to clean the air conditioner regularly. While cleaning, pay attention to both units. Check the vents properly and make sure there is no debris stuck in there. Also, make sure any toys or pieces of furniture don’t congest the vents.
Keep The Doors And Windows Closed.
You know, you will be forcing your air conditioner to pump cool air into the house harder if you keep the doors and windows open while the AC is on the run. This will result In the cooled air leaving the house. In order to keep the cool air in the house, shut down the house doors and windows while the AC is on.
Fix Any Leaks
Just closing the doors or windows won’t do the job entirely; you need to make sure there are no leaks around the doors or windows. Leakage around doors or windows causes the air conditioner to act inefficiently, thus increasing the release of harmful gases.
If there is any leakage, the cool air will move outside your house. As a result, your air conditioner has to work for an extended period of time to compensate for the loss. This will increase the electric bill as well as reduce the lifespan of your AC.
Changing Air Filter
The air filter of your air conditioner plays a significant role, as it not only measures the quality of air released by the appliance but also the life of the AC. If you want your AC to function at best, change the air filters once every three months at least.
FAQ
Is using air conditioners bad for the environment?
Can the air conditioner be bad for my health?
What is the reason for air conditioners leaking gases?
Wrap up
Air conditioners can make the environment hotter as they offload greenhouse gas like HFCs; they greatly contribute to global warming. But, if we take a few precautions and maintain these appliances properly, we can reduce the number of toxic gases that get leaked every year.
If we use proper insulation techniques and periodic maintenance of our AC units, there is a chance that we can decrease the environmental impact of air conditioners until we find a permanent solution.
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