Is Your Air Conditioner Making You Sick This Winter?

You're not catching a winter cold. You're breathing mould.

Every year, thousands of Central Coast households fire up their air conditioners for heating season without cleaning them first. Here's the problem: your split system has been sitting there for months breeding nasties — mould spores, dust mites, and bacteria — in the dark, damp environment inside the unit.

When you switch to heat mode, you're blowing all of that directly into your living room, your bedroom, your kids' rooms. No wonder everyone's sneezing.

What's Actually Growing In Your Air Conditioner?

The inside of a split system is the perfect environment for mould: dark, damp, and warm. Every time the unit cycles off, condensation sits in the drain pan. Add a bit of Central Coast humidity and you've got a mould factory in your ceiling.

Here's what we find in a typical unit that hasn't been cleaned in 12+ months:

• Black mould — on the barrel fan, coil, and drain pan
• Dust mite colonies — feeding on dead skin cells trapped in the filter
• Bacteria biofilm — the sludge at the bottom of the drain pan
• Dirt and debris — reducing airflow by up to 40%

The Health Effects Are Real

Running a mouldy air conditioner isn't just gross — it's a health risk. The spores get aerosolised and you breathe them in. Common symptoms include:

• Persistent coughing and sneezing
• Worsened asthma and allergies
• Itchy eyes and throat irritation
• Headaches and fatigue
• Sinus infections that won't clear up

"We strip the unit right down and deep clean it. Ninety minutes, we come to you. Your air con should make you healthier, not sicker."

How Often Should You Clean It?

Split systems: every 6-12 months minimum. If you've got pets, live near the beach (salt air), or anyone in the house has allergies — every 6 months. Ducted systems: every 12 months.

The filter you can clean yourself (30 seconds). But the internal components — the barrel fan, coils, and drain pan — those need a professional strip-down and chemical clean. Surface sprays don't cut it.