14-year-old with red, watery eyes when studying in the AC room
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Titan, Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu street, 1982 block. My 14-year-old studies in the afternoon in the room with a 7-year-old 12,000 BTU Samsung, 'sanitised' 3 years ago with spray. After 2 hours his eyes are red, watery, he rubs them. Without the unit, in the kitchen, he is fine. The ophthalmologist said 'allergic conjunctivitis, avoid irritants'. Which irritants?
What is really happening
Allergy symptoms cannot identify the source on their own. Dust, outdoor pollen, damp surfaces and other indoor exposures may contribute. An air conditioner can cool and remove moisture, but does not diagnose an allergy or guarantee a target humidity. Inspect filters and drainage and follow the clinician’s advice for the person concerned.
- Particles of different sizes move through the air.
- The filter retains some particles, depending on its type.
- A standard filter is not equivalent to HEPA filtration or gas removal.
Particles are symbolic and not to scale.
- No scheduled HVAC inspections was associated with 2.2 times more eye symptoms and 60% more cough in offices in the EPA BASE study. [Indoor Air / OSTI (LBNL-61870), 2008]
- The 'dirty sock' or musty smell from an air conditioner comes from volatile organic compounds produced by microbial biofilm on the evaporator and blower. [Current Microbiology, 2000]
- On filters of residential split units, Cladosporium (~32%), Aspergillus (~9%), Acremonium and Alternaria dominate – genera known as allergens. [Building and Environment, 2025]
- EPA warns that the effectiveness of biocides sprayed into air systems has not been demonstrated and their health effects are uncertain. [US EPA, 2024]
What we do on site
- Collection cover, film over the desk and laptop.
- Cleaning solution, pressure wash in place of evaporator, roller, pan – we also remove the spray residue from 3 years ago.
- Sanitising solution, rinse, drying on 'Fan'.
- Outdoor unit, washed in place.
- We reorient the louvre and check whether the desk sits in the jet. See current rates on the Prices page.
What you can do yourself
- Desk out of the jet; louvre at the ceiling; low speed; 25–26 °C.
- 10-minute breaks every hour, window open.
- Hygrometer; below 40%, a bowl of water in the room.
- Filters every two weeks, 'Fan' before shut-off.
What NOT to do
- No more spray 'sanitising' – the residue is itself an irritant.
- Do not use vasoconstrictor 'redness' drops long-term without a doctor.
- Do not add a fan blowing at the face.
Prevention
Plan maintenance according to the appliance manual and what is found during inspection. Keep any medical follow-up separate; cleaning does not guarantee that symptoms will resolve.
When to call us
0764 012 943 / WhatsApp, Monday–Saturday 08:00–20:00. Titan.
Maintenance does not replace medical care. CDC: mold and health · EPA: moisture and mould
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Read also
- Allergies, sneezing and irritated eyes from the air conditioner
- Air conditioning and small children
- Home humidity and air conditioning
Sources (7)
- www.osti.gov/biblio/902452
- link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s002840010120
- link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s002849900435
- pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6968652/
- www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132325010303
- www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/should-you-have-air-ducts-your-home-cleaned
- pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3709462/
The information on this page is educational and based on cited sources; it does not replace medical advice. We do not do repairs, installation or refrigerant circuit work.