While summer in Malta signifies clear blue skies, barbeques and beaches, the scorching heat that the season brings with it makes it nigh on impossible to move around without ending up dripping in sweat.

One would think that the ubiquity of air conditioners on our island would make life during the summer months all the more easier. But there are those, however, who would rather suffer in the stifling heat than stay in an air-conditioned environment.

A lot of people have recently cited air conditioners as the reason why they fell ill for a while over the course of summer, with foreigners in particular blaming their air conditioners for ruining their stay here in.

A teacher who works for one of the largest English language school companies on the island, said that not a lesson goes by without someone asking for the air conditioner to be switched off.

“Some students said that a few days after arriving in Malta, they and their friends would suddenly would start coughing, sneezing and suffering from sore throats. They were certain that the air conditioning of their hotel or classroom is the reason behind such symptoms.

“In class, students would often change places so that the same person did not always end up sitting directly beneath the air conditioner, as they believed it does more harm than good to their body. Strangely enough, because one would think would be used to it, it was people coming from colder climates who would often grumble about the air conditioner,” said the teacher, who preferred to be anonymous.

According to Dr Julian Mamo, head of the department of public health in the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Malta, there is more than just switching on an air conditioner that can lead to a mild form of some illness or another.

“Some of these students may already suffer from allergies of some sort. Furthermore, if air conditioner filters are not cleaned on a regular basis, this may lead to mild throat infections and nose irritations. Realistically, other students may still pick up bugs from nightclubs and bars, go to school the next day and blame everything on the classroom’s air conditioner. If they are indeed sick, the air conditioner may make them feel worse and could help spread their illness,” said Dr Mamo.

“If you are not sick and your air conditioner works well with clean filters, then all you are doing in an air conditioned environment is living in a climate you may find normally in another country. No harm there.

“However, if the filters are not cleaned, so that as soon as you switch it on, you are hit with dust from the filters, this may cause some harm – including allergies. If the filters are dirty and send out microbes, you make pick up such rare microbes as Legionnaire’s disease, for example. Although this is uncommon, such risks can easily be prevented by regular maintenance and the thorough cleaning of filters,” he added.

Andreas Aquilina, whose job includes the servicing and maintenance of air conditioners, distinguishes between two types of air conditioners: those used in private residences and those used in larger buildings such as hospitals, offices or hotels.

“Obviously, air conditioners used in larger complexes need to be constantly serviced. They extract air from the outside, cool it and transmit it into the room. The air in the room is constantly being refreshed, hence avoiding bacteriological harm. Nevertheless, dust or other particles may find its way into the filter, and cause harm to the air we breath.

“Filters should be cleaned at least every three months. Fortunately, newer air conditioners come with a sensor that lights up every so often to remind the user to clean the filters. Another thing to bear in mind is to make sure that the water that flows through the drains is also cleaned out every so often, for stagnant water can also cause damage to the air.

“As for temperatures, there is no harm in keeping your air conditioner on at the lowest temperature available. However, most installers and technicians advise that the ideal setting is 24 or 25 degrees Celsius,” said Mr Aquilina.