Air Conditioning Units: The Seedy Underbelly

I've always thought that air conditioning units could be hiding something. Sure they provide cooling comfort during the summer, but they aren't perfect. Sometimes they are expensive to purchase and install, sometimes they use a lot of energy and sometimes your office runs them too often, making icicles hang from your nose. 

But there's an even darker side to air conditioners that's not commonly known. They can wreak havoc in your life, if you aren't careful.

Rise in Theft

During these less-than-prosperous times, some of our more morally ambiguous citizens have turned to a new crime:  air conditioning unit theft. Everybody wants to keep cool when the temperatures rise, but air conditioning can be expensive. Some central air conditioning units are stolen right out of people's backyards and some window units taken right out of the window. Thieves may use the units themselves or resell them for a profit.

Stripping Air Conditioning Units for Parts

Metal prices have risen of late, making air conditioning units, and the metal inside them, a hot commodity. Robbers steal the whole unit, strip them of their metal parts and then try to sell the parts to recycling centers.

To prevent your air conditioning unit from being stolen there are many things you can do:

- Purchase an air conditioning unit cage that can't be cut with bolt cutters.
- Use an air conditioning alarm (choose one that reports the lowest amount of false alarms).
- If you feel your neighborhood isn't safe enough, consider starting a neighborhood watch program.
- Become familiar with your neighbors so it's easier to recognize strangers who may be up to no good.
- For a high tech solution, install surveillance cameras to monitor suspicious activity around your home.

A New Teen Thrill?

Using Freon from air conditioning units as an inhalant may be a dangerous new trend. When a low level is inhaled the side effects include headaches, dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea and vomiting. When a person deliberately inhales Freon gas, the effects tend to be more severe and include cardiac arrhythmias, respiratory obstruction and collapse and liver damage and failure.

Air Conditioning Unit Repair Scam

When your air conditioning unit goes on the blink, finding a repair service within your budget can be challenging. It's very tempting to hire someone who may be unlicensed because they charge a lower amount of money. But, as the saying goes, you'll get what you paid for.

Incorrect air conditioning unit installation can cost you even more money in the future. Not only can it hit you in the wallet, your safety may be on the line because the faulty electrical and plumbing work can cause a house fire or water damage. Before hiring someone to repair your air conditioning unit, ask for their business license, their certificate of insurance and ascertain how long they've been in business.

Bed Bug Invasion

Bed bugs can spread easily by hiding in a variety of household items, including air conditioning units and other  electronic devices. All that's needed is a crack big enough for a credit card.

To prevent bed bugs from invading your home, take these steps:

- Inspect secondhand items before they enter your home.
- When in a hotel, check the mattresses and don't place your luggage on the floor.
- Bird and bat habitats can act as a refuge for bedbugs, so get rid of them as soon as possible.

For more information about the seedy underbelly of air conditioning units, or to browse a wide selection of models, feel free to visit Air Conditioner Home.