Why You Shouldn’t Close the Door When Using an Air Conditioner

Does closing the door when using an air conditioner really make a difference? Can it truly save energy and provide health benefits to everyone during the summer?

Administrator

1 November, 2023

203

Across the world, in many regions, people have been experiencing historic heatwaves. Everyone is trying their best to stay cool and save electricity during the summer. One of the ways to do that is by using air conditioning in a closed room. However, is this popular practice really effective in saving electricity and providing health benefits to people?

When in operation, the air conditioning unit releases cool air and moves towards warmer areas. Eventually, the entire area becomes cooler. However, this process takes some time.

Sealing the room helps limit the loss of cold air, but closing the door for an extended period of time is not good for health.

When you close the room, the air inside will be trapped, increasing the pressure within the room. This pressure will push the cool air into small cracks or gaps around the windows, walls, ceiling, or floor… This leads to wastage.

Furthermore, when the room reaches the set temperature, the air conditioner will temporarily stop the cooling system. As a result, the sealed room will lack air circulation.

According to Tipsmake, the air inside a sealed air-conditioned room is usually 2-5 times more toxic than outdoor air. If you consistently use air conditioning in a small sealed room, the room will become stuffy.

Therefore, every 15 – 30 minutes, you should open the door for a few seconds to allow the room to “breathe”, exchange air with the outside. You can create small gaps in the room, or install additional ventilation fans to allow for free airflow.

This will avoid pressure issues within the room, help evenly distribute the cooling air, and reduce energy consumption.

In addition, during the day, you should not stay in an air-conditioned room continuously for 4 hours, as it will reduce your adaptability. Approximately every 2 – 3 hours, you should spend some time outside in normal temperature.

Pay attention to the following after using air conditioning to avoid health problems:

Turn on the air conditioner for about 5-10 minutes before closing the door: This method will help blow away some of the dust that sticks to the fan blade, making the indoor air cleaner.

Occasionally open the room door to increase air exchange in the room: Opening the door will help refresh the air inside the room, prevent unpleasant odors, and reduce stuffiness.

Install ventilation fans: Ventilation fans will help push the air from inside the room to the outside and bring fresh air from outside into the room, preventing oxygen deficiency. Air conditioners with air filtering and antibacterial functions can provide both cooling and health benefits. Alternatively, you can create some small gaps in the room to allow for natural ventilation.

Do not stay in an air-conditioned room for too long: Staying in an air-conditioned room for an extended period of time can have negative effects on your health.

Clean the outdoor and indoor units: Regularly cleaning the air conditioner ensures its cooling ability and efficient operation.