Whether it’s a chilly winter day or a scorcher, the indoor temperature of your home or office can affect your emotional and physical health. Air conditioners have come a long way since the ‘window rattlers’ of the past, intelligent technology assists in not only getting the perfect temperature, but also with cleaning and conditioning the air to perfection.
Homes that haven’t been designed to South African National Standards energy efficiency regulations, are often freezing in winter, with many people having to don more clothes when they go inside than they do while outside. Building regulations for newer homes have addressed this issue, ensuring that there is appropriate insulation, so heat stays out during summer and in during winter, meaning less energy is used trying to heat or cool poorly ventilated and insulated spaces.
But just what is the right temperature? The World Health Organisation recommends 18 degrees Celsius as the benchmark for homes, unless you suffer from allergies or breathing issues, then a lower 16 degrees, is recommended.
According to research, up to 21 degrees is best for comfort. This changes a bit for sleeping. The human body naturally reduces its core warmth to initiate sleep, so it makes sense to have the room a little colder too. If it is too hot, it’s likely to be a restless night – rather keep bed-time heat to between 15 and 19 degrees.
If you’ve got a bathroom off the bedroom, you will want to keep it a bit warmer than the sleeping space, though. There’s nothing quite as uncomfortable as a chilly bathroom, so a warm 23 degrees is usually best.
Robert Larkan, head of digital air solutions for Samsung South Africa, says: “Samsung’s newest innovation in air solutions is Wind-Free, which distributes air beautifully without a direct breeze. This is the perfect solution for sleep, as well as in office environments. The ambient temperature remains even throughout the entire space that’s being conditioned.”
Baby rooms are a bit different. The risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, is more prevalent in babies who are too hot. If the room is too cold, then it’s likely the child will wake up more often. The best heat level is between 20 and 21 degrees. For pre-term babies, it should be a bit higher, at 22 degrees – a too-chilly room will mean the baby will need to burn up additional calories to keep warm, which isn’t ideal.
“Keeping the air clean is obviously important and an example of how Samsung air conditioners address this is through the PM2.5 Filter that keeps the air clean by capturing 99% of ultrafine dust in 100 minutes on the wind-free option. It covers 100% of the air inlet, so it completely filters all of the air coming in,” adds Larkan.
A home is one thing, because even with different family members all sharing a space, it’s easy enough to come to an agreement on what the temperature should be. When it comes to the office, however, it’s not always that easy. Interestingly, a cooler space doesn’t always encourage efficiency and research has found that the 21 degree is best for optimum productivity in an office environment. When it comes to gyms and workout spaces, humidity comes into play. Workouts are most effective and comfortable in an environment of between 20 to 23 degrees, with a humidity level of 20 to 60%.
While air conditioners do use electricity, Larkan says. “In line with energy saving requirements, Samsung’s world first digital Inverter 8-Pole compressor consumes only 32% of the energy used by conventional air-conditioning models, saving 68% of energy usage. It maintains the desired temperature without frequently turning it on and off, so it’s much quieter, more durable and efficient. The fast cooling feature cools the air 43% faster, using a triangular architecture to disperse air further and more widely.”