How to Cool Your Home Healthily

You cool healthily if you set the air conditioner so that the difference between outdoor and indoor temperature is no more than 8-10 °C, do not stay directly in the outflowing cold air, ventilate regularly, and have the unit cleaned and disinfected at least once a year. Hungary's National Public Health and Pharmaceutical Centre (NNGYK) recommends the same.

The importance of cleaning and maintaining your air conditioner

In a heatwave most people try to spend as little time as possible in the blazing sun, and at home or at work the air conditioner helps to bear the heat. Many people know only that it is hot, they press a button on the remote, and cold air comes. There are, however, a few important things to know that are worth paying attention to for the sake of both your health and your wallet.

The right setting

According to a 2025 statement by the NNGYK, the air in an air-conditioned room can be too dry, and cold air blowing directly on us can cause cold-like symptoms. Therefore:

• the difference between outdoor and indoor temperature should not be more than 8-10 °C;
• choose a moderate air-flow speed, and do not sit in front of or under the outflowing cold air;
• ventilate regularly, because a split air conditioner does not supply fresh air, it only regulates the temperature of the air inside.

Our article 5 useful tips for using your air conditioner gives further advice on economical settings, and our article on summer thermal comfort and the role of shading covers keeping the heat out.

What should you know about cleaning your air conditioner?

Choosing an air conditioner is usually preceded by a longer search, followed by installation. It is worth entrusting this to a specialist company that also takes on maintenance. In the warranty card it is worth checking what maintenance the manufacturer prescribes, and whether it must be carried out and documented by a professional.

Even more important is the health side of cleaning. The fan of the indoor unit draws in air and blows it back into the room between the heat-exchanger fins (thin metal plates). Dust collects on the fins, and during cooling condensation also forms on them, so the dust sticks even more. According to the NNGYK, bacteria and fungi can settle in the accumulated dust and condensate, get into the indoor space during use, and cause allergies, asthma, even pneumonia. That is why regular cleaning of the indoor unit is important.

DIY or a professional?

• DIY: cleaning the filters is not a complicated operation. For disinfection, the NNGYK mentions, for example, air-conditioner cleaning foam or spray.
• Professional: a specialist company uses a stronger cleaning agent, which also gets between the fins and thoroughly cleans the inside of the unit. For a heavily soiled unit, mechanical cleaning before disinfection is also recommended.
• Filter replacement: after a time the filters have to be replaced; when depends on how often it is used and how dusty the environment is.
• Air-conditioner washing: if the indoor unit has become so dirty that cleaning is no longer enough, a more complex procedure, an air-conditioner wash, is needed - this is better left to a professional. Even better, if regular cleaning means it never gets that far.

When is air-conditioner cleaning due?

The NNGYK recommends cleaning and disinfection at least once a year, and twice a year in a dusty environment, preferably in early June, before the cooling season. The professional carrying out the maintenance often gets in touch himself when it is due. Do not neglect it: besides the health risk, a dirty unit lasts a shorter time, uses more energy, becomes louder and also gives off an unpleasant smell.

What should you heat with in winter?

A cooling-and-heating air conditioner is also suitable for heating, but it warms and circulates the air, not the floor, and its operating noise can also be disturbing. If you long for the comfort of a warm floor, plan modern infrared underfloor heating. The advantages and limits of heating with an air conditioner are presented in our article Heating with an air conditioner - advantages and disadvantages in one place, and a comparison of heating methods on our electric heating page.

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