Can you get legionnaires disease from air conditioning

Legionnaires disease is not a common disorder that affects a person’s respiratory system. It is usually caused by a bacteria known as Legionella Pneumophila.

The bacteria can be found in the water of rivers, lakes, and streams. Inhaling such a kind of bacteria can cause you to feel sick and may lead to its most serious stage known as legionnaires disease. This small beginning can also lead you to significant issues like pneumonia or the lungs’ inflammation.

Usually, more than 90% of people fully recover from this disease, but there are still 10% that can die because of this disorder. Some of the significant symptoms of legionnaires disease include muscle aches, fatigue, cough, fever, loss of appetite, and cold.

The questions that arise here are, can all kinds of water cause this disease? Can you get legionnaires disease from air conditioning?

Although just like all other diseases anyone can get affected by legionnaires, people who have weak immune systems such as smokers, drug addicts, and old aged are more affected persons in the list.

With all this being said, it can be quickly concluded that less than 5% of people in the world have a chance of getting legionnaires disease because the other 95% of people have a robust immune system that can easily fight such kinds of bacteria.

Does legionnaires disease spread in the aircon room

Legionnaires disease cannot be spread through or in your air conditioner rooms. As it has been said earlier that these bacteria grow in water. There are possibilities that this disease may be spreading from your air conditioners but there are minimum chances. If you have symptoms of legionnaires disease, your air conditioner should be the last thing to check.

Can you get legionnaires disease from home air conditioning

You can only get legionnaires disease from your home air conditioning if it is using some kind of water-based system. Some ACs use such systems to cool a refrigerator but these are not so common. But if you have one, there are possibilities of getting legionnaires disease from your AC if the base water is affected by Legionella Pneumophila bacteria.

Apart from this, these bacteria can also breed in any part of your building. If something is working as a passage between the bacteria and your air conditioner’s vent, you may get legionnaires disease from your ACs as well.

For example, if you clean your air conditioner or pour some infected water into your AC, the bacteria may start to breed in the unit and then can easily be spread in your room.

Can you get legionnaires disease from car air conditioning

As said earlier, a car air conditioner does not use water at any phase to cool the inside air. It is a simple understanding that if there is no water being used in the air conditioning process, there is not a minor chance that you can get legionnaires disease from your vehicle’s air conditioning.

Can you get legionnaires disease from portable air conditioning

Portable air conditioners work on the condensation to produce cooling into the room. The condensed water is then taken out of the air conditioner through a drain hose or can also be stored inside the unit reservoir.

Portable air conditioners are considered one of the most efficient and high-performing AC units in the market. As the portable AC uses minimum water, the chances of getting legionnaires disease are minimal.

Can you get legionnaires disease from window air conditioning

Legionnaires disease is a type of disorder that can affect a person at any time of the year but the hot season is considered the riskiest month in terms of this disease.

Research has been conducted on window air conditioners but experts and professionals still concluded the same results.

All of these researches have shown that Legionnaires disease cannot spread through window air conditioners as they don’t allow bacteria to grow or breed.

What HVAC equipment is associated with legionella

The experts and professionals of HVAC equipment and appliances claim that legionella cannot be found in households, cars, or window air conditioners because of their small size and minimal water usage.

Legionella bacteria can only grow large HVAC equipment such as large air conditioning systems and cooling towers. We all know that legionella can only live, breed, and multiply in warm water with temperatures ranging from 20 degrees to 45 degrees celsius. Thus, they can easily grow in HVAC cooling towers as they have extensive use of water.

With inhaling air from these HVAC systems, you can easily get affected by legionnaires disease. Such equipment and systems are widely found in large buildings where many people have to gather, such as hospitals, hotels, stadiums, etc.

Is legionella airborne

Legionella is completely airborne and can only spread via airborne water droplets. These droplets can come from any kind of freshwater, whether from a river, stream, or any other means. If these bacteria are in your house and get inside your air conditioners, they can breed and grow in the unit’s water reservoir as well.

How long does legionella stay in the air

Many studies and researches have shown that Legionella bacteria can stay in the air for a long time, even for a few hours. The time for which bacteria can stay in the air depends on the condition inside the room and outside weather.

If there is a high humidity level in the air, there are chances that bacteria will remain in the air for a relatively long time. One thing is clear that bacteria cannot spread from person to person. So if you are not in the room, the bacteria will not affect you even if it stays in the room for days.

How to prevent legionnaires disease in air conditioners

The most effective way to prevent legionnaires disease in an air conditioner is to maintain a proper and efficient water supply. This is the only way that can stop legionella from breeding, growing, and making other people sick.

Water draining hose and reservoir should be inspected regularly after a specific period of time. This will not only allow you to clean the air conditioner unit but will remove the water infected by the legionella bacteria as well.

CDC experts claim that there is no need to implement the above-mentioned techniques on car air conditioners. They don’t use water in their processing so that there is no risk of legionella bacteria’s breeding and multiplication.

Talking about Legionnaires disease, if you have got infected and have symptoms as well, you should immediately contact your doctor to get medicated. Although there are minimal chances, it can lead to some major issues if you keep on ignoring the symptoms.

How long do legionnaires stay in air conditioners

Legionnaires can stay in an air conditioner for days, if not months. You can get an idea from the fact that CDC recommends homeowners to clean air conditioner units and their water-related equipment regularly so that bacteria can be removed if there is any. This is a clear indication that legionnaires can stay in an air conditioner until the infected water is removed.