Is air conditioning a necessity?

LETHBRIDGE – An electronic breeze is always in high demand this time of year.

However, the extreme heat we’ve experienced so far this summer has the air conditioning business a bit overwhelmed.

Rob Mulder, owner of Paradigm Heating and Air Conditioning, says he’s never seen a higher volume of AC requests in all his years in the industry

“People are starting to ask for it more, it’s less of a luxury now and more of a necessity,” he said. “If anything we’re having issues right now with just keeping up.”

Even though keeping cool is often a top priority, continuous exposure can be harmful. Medical experts note that some of the health risks caused by AC include cold and flu like symptoms, constant fatigue, breathing problems, dry skin and inability to deal with heat.

READ MORE: Top 5 health problems associated with air conditioning

“We just need to have an awareness of how those temperatures can impact us and be aware of the signs and symptoms of that heat exposure,” said Dr. Karin Goodison, Medical Officer with Alberta Health Services.

When we are trying to beat the scorching sun, AC is not always the best choice.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a necessity. I think it’s one of the way we can cool ourselves down,” she said.

“There’s lots of other ways, we have fans, take a cool shower, wearing loose fitting clothing, staying in the shade. All of those things can help cool us down.”

Mulder is not complaining. “Definitely strike while the irons hot right now,” he said.