Air quality warnings go off in the Hamptons, NY, from time to time, usually due to wildfires but sometimes due to other natural disasters. When the air quality outside worsens, you may feel like keeping the windows and doors shut and just running the air conditioning unit instead to avoid inhaling pollutants.
But won’t your AC pull in some of that poor-quality air? Should you use an air conditioner when air quality is bad in the first place? Complete Comfort Control’s Hampton AC repair experts cover all the details you need to know in this post.
Is It Safe To Use an Air Conditioner During Periods of Poor Air Quality in the Hamptons, NY?
Yes, it’s safe to use your air conditioner when the air quality is bad outside. However, remember this one caveat. You should only use the air conditioner with the doors and windows sealed if your unit only recirculates the inside air.
Most central air conditioners and split units efficiently recirculate the air inside your home. They won’t pull air from the outdoors. Window units, on the other hand, pull air from the outside, which means they can bring particulate matter and other tiny particles into your home.
Window units are not safe to use during periods of poor air quality because they don’t have strong filtration systems. They don’t just pull air from the outside; they also don’t have the mechanism to clean up the air as it enters your home.
Central AC units and split systems will not pull in air from the outside, and they still filter the air already inside your home or any outside air that comes in from other sources.
So, should you use an air conditioner when air quality is bad if you don’t have a central AC or split system? It’s not a good idea. You’ll end up inhaling the bulk of the pollutants that will come in with the fresh air intake.
Even when combined with other air filtration systems, your indoor air quality will suffer if you rely on a window unit for cooling.
Making Your Central Air Conditioner More Effective During Periods of Poor Air Quality
The best way to ensure your central air conditioning unit stays in excellent shape to handle poor air quality is to replace the air filter with one designed to remove fine particulate matter from the air. HEPA filters make the best choice for this situation. They can remove nearly all tiny airborne particles.
Additionally, you can lighten the load on your air conditioner by installing air purifiers with HEPA filters. Working together, both of them can keep the air inside your home clean enough to prevent health issues due to poor air quality.
Other Tips To Keep in Mind
Here are a few other tips to keep in mind when using an air conditioner during periods of poor air quality.
- Ensure steady air circulation. Encouraging circulation can help the air conditioner do a better job of cleaning the air within your indoor space. You can do this by using box fans or turning on the built-in fans in your bathroom or kitchen (as long as they don’t pull in air from the outside).
- You don’t have to use the cooling function of the air conditioner. If the weather is bearable, you can keep costs down while maintaining healthy indoor air by only running the air conditioner on fan mode. This will ensure you’re not using the system unnecessarily.
- Keep doors and windows closed. Leaving even a single window open during periods of poor air quality is counterproductive. Keeping the doors and windows closed will ensure reduced outdoor air intake. Your air conditioner won’t have to work too hard to maintain a healthy indoor air quality.
- Clean or replace the filters afterward. When the air outside is finally healthy enough, you should consider replacing the air filters in your air conditioner before going back to normal. This will keep the airborne particles trapped during the period of poor air quality from cycling back into your indoor air.
Get More Answers to Your Air Conditioning Questions From Your Local Pros in the Hamptons, NY
Do you want to further discuss the answer to “Should you use an air conditioner when air quality is bad?” Do you need more tips on how to improve indoor air quality? We can help!
Call Complete Comfort Control in the Hamptons, NY, today at 631-946-4908 to schedule a consultation.