Air Conditioning Systems - Essay Example

"Air conditioning systems are inherently energy consuming and cause all sorts of internal air pollution and health problems. They should therefore be avoided as far as possible." Introduction: For people who live in hot locations, there is nothing as amazing as relaxing in a cool home or office and air conditioning systems are generally used to maintain a cooler environment in the midst of a bitterly hot summer. The good thing is that air conditioning systems are now available in different types. Room air conditioners, central air conditioners, split-systems central air conditioners and packaged central air conditioners are most commonly used in today's world. Although it is a fact that improved technology has helped in manufacturing air conditioners to get better air quality but the implications of using these systems are also quite evident. Actually, most people are only concerned about the comfort associated with air conditioners so they always forget about the several disadvantages of using these cooling systems. The basic objective of this essay is to identify and discuss those specific disadvantages that are associated with air conditioning systems. Although a variety of negative effects are created by air conditioners but following are the two key issues in this regard. 1. Air conditioners are not energy efficient. 2. Air conditioners create a perfect environment for the growth of microorganisms and give rise to diseases. Considering these two key issues, the topic herein can be divided into two parts. First part is about checking the negative effects being created by air conditioning systems on energy consumption. This part is about analyzing the impact on your energy bills. Whereas, the second part is about delving into the details pertaining to the health implications of using air conditioning systems in homes or offices. It will be deduced by highlighting the health implications and energy consumption feature of air conditioners that these systems should be avoided as much as possible. Here, the major emphasis is only on identifying these issues and their causes as their solutions are not under discussion in this very essay. Air Conditioning Systems are Energy Consuming: Energy consumption is arguably the one of the major issues associated with the use of air conditioning systems. The use of these cooling machines is so common that one out of every five kilowatt hour of electricity is consumed in the US only to cool buildings. According a report, large commercial buildings are consuming 18% of electricity for air conditioning and that's a lot. However, the real bad thing is that though lots of people use air conditioners in America but most of this conditioned air (25%-35%) goes out of the window. It creates unnecessary burden on energy bills. Although it is clear that this much of use is going to create a big impact on your energy bills but implications are much greater than this. For instance, the use of electricity generated by natural gas and coal is increased in the recent year because of which refrigerants are being released into the atmosphere to contribute to global warming [2]. So, the effects of air conditioning are quite harsh on your energy bills but it is worth mentioning that some people argue about the fact that air conditioners can be made more energy efficient through proper maintenance. While it is true to some extent as proper maintenance of air conditioner's fins, coils and filters can help in making it more energy efficient, it is also true that not many people have the time and patience to pay regular attention to the maintenance of these parts, resulting in an increase in energy use. Not to mention that regular maintenance is again going to hurt your already limited budget. One final thing which is quite crucial to give you a clear idea about how energy intensive an air conditioner can be is the consumption of energy by cooling a home from 72% to 78%. It was found in many researches that 60% more energy is used to cool a home from 72% to 78%. Now, if you will take some other maintenance issues into consideration, you will find these percentages to go up a bit. Air conditioning systems and health implications: It has been found in many studies that quality of your health is deeply connected to the quality of the environment you live in. And, it is no secret that air conditioners can have a great impact on the air quality and the overall environment of your home. On the face of it, air conditioning systems look free of faults. They certainly are but only when you use them in the right way. Several health issues are caused by the improper maintenance of these cooling systems. Unfortunately, most people don't pay attention on using these systems in the right way and that's the point when misusing or overusing starts creating problems. Following are few of the health implications of spending excessive time in artificially cooled environment. Common problems: Overuse of air conditioning system can be perilous for the health of those people who may already be dealing with some physical challenges. For instance, people with arthritis or neuritis can have a lot of problems while staying for long in artificially cooled environment. Also, with the production of noise, several other problems can crop up. The reasons behind the excessive noise being produced by air conditioning units can be many but the end result will usually be the hear loss, especially for those who are exposed to this noise for a longer period of time. Another disadvantage of air conditioner is about gaining excessive fat. Obesity has now become a global issue and some researchers have found a connection between excessive use of air conditioning systems and obesity. It is supposed that body burns lesser calories due to the inefficiency of adjusting to the change in temperature. Although it is found in some researches but more judicious evidences are required to back this idea. Growth of microorganisms: The production of microorganisms is another common issue associated with the use of these systems. Air conditioning systems play a crucial role in creating a perfect environment for fungal colonization. This usually takes place when water is drawn from cooling coils through filters. Due to the molds and other fungi, you have to face several types of problems. For instance, Legionella pneumophila is one specific microorganism because of which a person may acquire Legionnaire's disease where a person has to deal with chills, fever, headaches and muscle aches. A specific hypersensitivity disease is also associated with the use of air conditioning system. This disease is generally referred to as hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Exposure to certain airborne antigen is the reason of this disease and air conditioning systems provide a perfect environment for the growth of these antigens, especially if they are already contaminated with molds and bacteria [1]. Presence of thermophilic actinomycetes can also give rise to a form of sick building syndrome, called air-conditioned lung. The piping of ducts of the air conditioning systems is contaminated with these microorganisms and creates problems when inhaled. Nausea, vomiting, shortness of breadth and loss of appetite are few of the symptoms of air-conditioned lung. It is no secret that seasonal changes make flowers to blossom but fills air with pollen grains to make life miserable for many people. "Mild fever, cough and throat irritations are common in the season and we end up seeing several patients in the OPDs who complain of simple symptoms which are specific to the change in season," said ENT specialist Dr V K Sharma. Also, "Pollen in the air, coupled with smoke, pollution and dust particles trigger asthma and the changing weather is the time when the asthma patients need to take maximum precautions. Our load of asthma patients in the OPDs is maximum in September and October (when the summers give way to winters) and again in March and April. We recommend patients to not stop their medicines and use inhalers if these have been prescribed by doctors," said a PGI doctor [4]. Now, the point here is that the infections in such season spread on a rapid pace due to the use of air conditioners and it is particularly true for centrally air conditioned offices. The fact of the matter is that the use of air conditioners can provide a perfect environment for the growth of certain microorganisms. Not to mention how detrimental these microorganisms can be for your health. But, even if you use common sense, you will find that certain dust particles are circulated in the air due to air conditioning because of which it becomes easier to inhale these particles to acquire specific type of allergies. Although the possibility of seeing certain advantages can not be overruled as that's the only reason why you can find several air conditioners in hospitals but it is an undeniable fact that these air conditioners in many of the hospitals act as protagonist in spreading different diseases. So, it is better to stay away from air conditioning especially if you already have some type of allergy. Evaluation and Discussion: There is a little doubt about the fact that air conditioning systems have come a long way since their first introduction. But, it is an undeniable fact that air conditioners are energy intensive. The air conditioning ratings are expressed in BTU, i.e. British Thermal Units. Herein, a ton is equal to 12,000 BTU and you can get energy efficiency rating by doing the following; Energy-efficiency rating: Number of BTU per hour/ number of watts consumed by air conditioner [3] Now, when you will use this measuring technique, you will find that most of the air conditioners are inherently energy consuming. Though it is believed that the escaping of central air from ducts is a major reason of 10% to 30% increase in the energy consumption but even if ducts are airtight you will still find these cooling machines to be energy intensive. Besides being energy intensive, air conditioning systems are closely tied to many other issues and one of the key issues is to deal with the production of microorganisms. Although most people believe that the biggest issue is about the energy consumption but there are lots of affluent people who don't mind paying few extra bucks to enjoy the cooler environment. Still, these people can not escape from the malicious effects being created by air conditioners through the production of microorganisms. Here, it is crucial to mention that a wide majority of people believe that the use of air conditioning system is safe because of the availability of such units where different processes are used to provide cleaner air. Humidification, filtration, cooling and disinfection are few of the processes used in air conditioners to provide improved air quality. While it is true that these processes have certainly added to the effectiveness of air conditioners, they have still not been able to deter specific health implications mentioned in the first part of this essay. Actually, there is a reason behind each and every health issue related to air conditioning. For instance, you can acquire cold symptoms by staying for longer hours in overly cooled environment. The reason is mentioned by the Common Colds Centre as following; "The lining of the nose is covered with a thin layer of mucus which protects against infection. Since air conditioners extract moisture from the air they may cause some drying of the protective mucous blanket in the nose and predispose to injection. The cold air may also help viruses to establish a hold in the nose as they reproduce better in a cold nose." Also, when you will compare a person who sits in air conditioned environment for most of the time with a person who don't use air conditioned too often, you will find that the person with an excessive use of air conditioned is more prone to acquire symptoms of flu, colds, etc. It implies the fact that you can actually affect your immune system by spending inordinate time in air conditioned environment. Here, it is also quite important to mention that air conditioning is not avoidable only in residences but in vehicles as well. The reason is the same, i.e. the growth of several microorganisms. In fact, eight different types of mould and microorganisms were found in 22 cars by researchers at Louisiana State Medical Center after testing 25 cars. It means that if you think you are safe in your vehicle, think again. In addition to these health related issues, there are some other issues that are partially related to health. One particular issue is about the decreased productivity of a person working in cooler offices. Although you can find some contradictions in this regard as HVAC enthusiasts have always been arguing about the fact that productivity increases with a decrease in temperature but a recent study has helped in finding the truth. This study was carried out by Cornell University where it was found that typists had a 25% of error rate at temperatures of 68 degrees or below. But, the error rate was only about 10% with an increase in temperatures up to 77 degrees. Also, the typing output moved up by 150% with an increase in temperatures from 68 to 77 degrees. Apart from this particular problem, the negative effect of air conditioning on environment is another big concern. Actually, hydrochlorofluorocarbon 22 (HCFC-22) is used in most of the residential air conditioners which give rise to several environmental concerns. Actually, this problem takes place because refrigerants are not contained in tight systems and containers, maximizing atmospheric releases. This entire discussion makes it pretty clear that negative effects of air conditioning are not limited to excessive use of energy or to certain minor ailments but the problems can become extremely complicated as several areas of life get affected by air conditioning. Conclusion: It is a fact that billions of people are now using air conditioners all over the world but this widespread use of air conditioners doesn't qualify to the fact that these machines are good for all. After going through the information provided in the previous paragraphs, it becomes pretty evident that the use of air conditioners can give rise to several issues. Not only can it bother you by putting excessive pressure on your pocket but it can also make your life miserable by exposing you to several diseases and ailments. For an average Joe, it is hard to bear the running cost of air conditioners but there are people who don't mind paying top dollar in order to enjoy a cooler environment. But, the price associated with the use of these machines is much higher than expected or imagined. The production of microorganisms can become extremely excruciating for people and diseases caused by these organisms can stay with you for lifetime. Allergies, for instance, will become your fast friend only because of extensive use of air conditioning. It is due to all these implications that it can easily be deduced that air conditioners should be avoided as much as possible. They ask for a lot of money in the first place but they keep on hurting you by creating several other problems. But, if you opt for air conditioners irrespective of the fact that air conditioning is associated with potentially catastrophic climate change, staggering energy cost and several diseases, then you must be ready to face the music. 1. Fink J.N. "Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis." In: Middleton, E., Reed, C.E. and Ellis, E.F. eds., Allergy Principles and Practice (St. Louis: C.V. Mosby, 19xx), pp. 1085-1100. 2. Watts, Marty. "Air conditioning addiction: pumps up costs, lowers productivity. (TECHNOLOGY)." Real Estate Weekly. Hagedorn Publication. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 16 Apr. 2009 . 3. Chen. Y. "How Much Energy Does Air Conditioning Use" Wise Geek. http://www.wisegeek.com/how-much-energy-does-air-conditioning-use.htm 4. "What's in the air Spring and infections". Express News Service. 22 Mar. 2009. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/whats-in-the-air-spring-and-infections/437420/ Read More