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Dubai: Maintenance of airconditioning units in the home and the workplace is essential not only to keep cool during the summer months but also so that you don't fall ill.
Airconditioning units should be kept well maintained by professional service agents. Cleaning and maintenance should be carried out at least once a year, which is best done at the start of any hot weather season.
There are three types of airconditioning: central AC, which is built into buildings; window AC, which can be installed in external walls and takes in air from outside; split AC, which are units with an external compressor and wall-mounted unit; and portable AC, which are units that can be brought into the home and plugged in wherever it is needed.
Central AC will be installed by contractors, whereas window, split and portable AC can be purchased by consumers.
Central AC in some buildings use an HVAC (heating, ventilation and airconditioning) system, which uses ducts to channel the air.
Abby Thomas, Marketing Manager, Panasonic, said: "To maintain airconditioning, first ensure the temperature on the remote does not go below 21 degrees, as this is the ideal home temperature. Second, regularly clean the indoor filters and thirdly, outdoor fins should be blown, or spray washed b fore the start of the season.
"To ensure the unit is functioning properly, have it checked annually, by a professional, before the start of the season. Do not do this yourself," she said.
Airconditioning should be kept maintained to avoid breakdown and also to avoid the risk of air-borne illnesses. According to the World Health Organisation, bacterium, such as Legionella pneumophila (Legionellosis/Legionnaire's disease), manifests in poorly maintained artificial water systems. Systems such as cooling towers or evaporative condensers associated with airconditioning and industrial cooling can be affected by this bacterium.
If you have a portable airconditioning machine that uses an evaporative condenser as its cooling mechanism, it's essential to keep it properly maintained.
Many airconditioning systems also use air filters that need to be changed or cleaned regularly.
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