When people hear that Legionnaire’s disease is connected with air conditioning, they may wonder why they don’t hear about people getting this illness from their home central air conditioners. Theoretically, this can happen, but the probability is very slim. The disease develops from infection with Legionella bacteria, which are sometimes found in standing water. The commercial-sized air conditioning systems have cooling towers that are connected with these outbreaks in hospitals and other large buildings. For this reason, residential Air Conditioning Service in Bellingham WA doesn’t focus on looking for and detecting Legionella.
Legionnaire’s disease is a respiratory infection that results from breathing in contaminated water mist. Outbreaks have occurred in residential settings, but those have involved apartment complexes with cooling towers. The only way standing water would be connected with indoor residential central air equipment would be with a humidifier in the system, but that humidifier is meant to be used when the furnace is running, not when the air conditioner is. It also is meant to include a disinfectant if the homeowner doesn’t use a separate container inside the humidifier that can be removed and cleaned periodically.
Portable humidifiers and misters can be susceptible to the development of Legionella bacteria if the water is left to stagnate and then the equipment is turned on later. This is uncommon, but homeowners should be aware of the possibility if they’re concerned about Legionnaire’s disease. Portable devices can be disinfected with vinegar now and then. Water should not be allowed to sit in this equipment for days. If the device isn’t being used, the water should be poured out and the equipment left to dry.
Another possible source of the bacteria is a water heater that doesn’t have the temperature turned up high enough to kill it. If the homeowner doesn’t know how to check or change the temperature on the equipment, a technician from a company such as can do so. That task could be done when the technician performs Air Conditioning Service in Bellingham WA or routine maintenance on the central air and furnace that should be scheduled each year. Visit the website for information on this company.
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