Allergist warned about germs in the car air conditioner

If the air conditioner in the car is working properly, it does not mean that everything is fine with it. Cold air can even flow through a dirty filter, a wet evaporator, and ducts that have long required maintenance. And if the system starts to smell damp, vinegar, or musty, this is a reason to check what's going on inside. LECAR specialists and expert doctor, allergist and immunologist Elena Moskayeva told Izvestia about this on June 15.

Experts called the evaporator of the air conditioner the most vulnerable place. During operation, it cools down, condensation forms on its surface. This is a normal physical process, but problems begin when dust, organic particles, leaf debris, pollen, and dirt are added to the moisture after passing through the air intake and filter. In such an environment, a persistent odor forms faster, the system begins to work as a storage device for what is definitely not needed in the cabin, the experts explained.

"From the point of view of an allergist, most often we are not talking about any one "main microbe", but about a complex of factors. Mold allergens can accumulate in a polluted ventilation and air conditioning system. According to the EAACI documents on fungal allergens, Cladosporium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, and Penicillium are most often found on the evaporator and filters. In addition, allergens of house dust mites may be present in the cabin: the mites themselves usually do not live in the air ducts, but their fecal particles and body fragments accumulate in the dust of filters and upholstery," Moskayeva said.

She noted that as a result, when ventilation is turned on, dried allergenic material can rise into the air. Plant pollen is also important, especially if the filter has not been changed for a long time, it is defective or of poor quality.

From a technical point of view, the smell is the first sign that you should pay attention to. And not only a sharp and obvious, but even a slight "basement" shade that appears for a few seconds after starting the fan, experts warned. The second signal is a weak air flow from the deflectors: sometimes the driver increases the fan speed, but the air still goes worse than before. The third is the glass, which began to fog up faster even with the ventilation turned on. All these signs do not automatically mean a serious breakdown, but they almost always indicate that the cabin filter, evaporator, drainage or air ducts require attention.

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Earlier, on June 11, the expert said that in hot weather, the car's keychain may stop responding to clicks due to overheating of the battery. The fact is that at high temperatures, the chemical processes inside it accelerate, which is why the charge is consumed faster and self-discharge increases even when the keychain is not in use.