Can air condition 'cause pollution?

Question

I heard air condition can 'cause pollution is it TRUE?

Answer 1

yes, when the freon escapes into the envioronment, which happens when there is a leak in the coolant system.
which will happen sooner or later.
plus the fact that they are powered by electricity which is made from burning coal that has sulphur or nuclear power. making electricity causes polllution.

Answer 2

Old units have CFC's which are very bad for the environment, so if they have leaks or aren't disposed of properly that is a source of pollution. The biggest problem is the amount of energy they use and our over use of them. We cool our homes and other buildings more each year and cooling has contributed to such a high demand for energy in some locations that it has caused the whole grid to shut down, power plants have to work at maximum capacity. The sad part is a lot of it is wasted energy, people chilling their homes so much you need to wear a sweater or cooling it all day when it is empty. A few small changes can really make a difference, a programmable thermostat, so you can set it warmer while you are away costs about $50 and can save you hundreds of dollars a year. Improved insulation, a gable fan, simply adjusting the thermostat a few degrees, using a fan can make you feel 5-6 degrees cooler and letting the cool morning or evening air in can help a lot.

Answer 3

No. The only pollution that comes from running an air conditioner comes from the power plant used to create the electricity used to power it. However, if the coil in the air conditioner breaks then the chemicals (freon and such) in there can cause pollution. But no, running an air conditioner does not cause pollution

Answer 4

Indirectly by two methods. First, obviously it takes electricity to run the AC, so that requires usually burning coal (power plants) or gasoline (autos) - both of which release pollutants. The freon inside the AC that actually makes the air cold may be bad for the environment if it is released, but not as bad as the previous compounds used, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

Answer 5

Indirectly, yes: air conditioning requires electric power, and electricity is normally generated by methods such as burning coal which produce pollution.

If however you had a solar panel system installed, and ran your air conditioner from the electric power generated by the solar panels, then no pollution would result from running the air conditioning.

Answer 6

Yes! Air conditioners release CFC's (chlorofluorocarbons) which contribute to air pollution and ozone deterioration

Answer 7

The chemical in air conditioners that helps them work and get cold can damage the ozone layer if it is not discarded properly.
When it's time to discard either an air conditioner or a fridge, contact sanitation for where you live for them to remove the gas properly.

Answer 8

Yes because of the chemicals inside it that cool the air. If it escapes, it poisons the air. Plus they use lots of electricity, thus causing more greenhouse gasses.

Answer 9

Yes, if not cleaned periodically, especially ones with filters. Central A/C should be checked by a professional yearly to see if freon gas level is correct.

Answer 10

Only if it leaks freon(R-12), I believe freon has CFC's that dissolve the ozone layer. But not to worry most AC units use Pureon(R-34), a freon free coolant!