Is my air conditioner making me sick?
Have you noticed that you feel worse inside your home or building when exposed to air conditioning for prolonged periods more than you do outside in the fresh air? Your air conditioner could be making you sick. Contaminants in the air of your home or office don’t just disappear when they enter your HVAC unit. An improperly-maintained air-conditioning unit, dirty air filters, and mold/mildew/fungus buildup can make you quite sick. Sick Building Syndrome or Air Conditioning Sickness occur when a building or home has low air quality. This could be due to poor ventilation or dirty filters. While working or living in an environment with poor air quality, you may experience:
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Eye, nose, and throat irritation
- Dry cough
- Nausea
If you do not experience these issues while outside the building or home, it could be a sign that the air in the enclosed building being continuously circulated by the air conditioner is making you sick. People with underlying respiratory issues like asthma may be even more susceptible to poor air quality.
Gas Backflows
Beyond poor quality air circulating continuously, sewer gas being pulled into the home/building can lead to hospitalization. The water barrier formed by a traditional p-trap should block gas from back-flowing from the sewer system if the condensate line is plumped into it. However, p-traps can dry out from lack of air conditioner use, like in the winter. Then sewer gas could backflow into the air-conditioning system, infiltrating the home or office.
In most cases, a noticeable odor coming from the air conditioner vents should warn you of sickening sewer gas. These fumes may be flowing through your system. Exit the building and call a professional. These noxious fumes from the air conditioner can quickly make you feel sick.
How eTrapp Can Help
The eTrapp features patented technology that shuts down the air conditioner if it senses less than 25% condensate available. This action inhibits sewer gas from flowing up through the condensate line. Using state-of-the-art flow sensing, condensate treatment, and monitoring, the eTrapp provides continuous performance feedback via a wireless connection through the eTrapp App. Our revolutionary app is available at no charge through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. In real time, the app informs the user of any flow irregularities or cartridge change requirements. An alert will be issued through the app to let you know that you should run the A/C to refill the trap to safe levels.

The eTrapp also works to prevent the growth of algae, fungi, and other organic compounds. These can clog condensate systems, leading to pan overflow and flooding. In other words, the eTrapp provides solutions and actually prevents a problem before it ever occurs.
While air conditioning certainly makes life more comfortable, improperly maintained air conditioners can also cause costly problems. They can even make you sick. If you have problems with an air conditioner making your home unhealthy, the eTrapp can help. It mitigates typical air-conditioning issues by not allowing them to occur in the first place. Get in touch with us for more information by emailing info@edeltainc.com.