Why not use an air conditioner? August 21, 14:20
The dangerous heat of life continues. The number of people who died of heat stroke in Tokyo exceeded 140 this month alone. There are many cases where people do not use an air conditioner and get sick or die. Why on earth?
(Akihiko Kanno, Naoya Saito, Network News Department / Kazuhiro Koyanagi, Video Center / Kazuma Ito, Tokushima Broadcasting Station)
According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Inspectorate of Medicine, 148 people have already died of heat stroke in Tokyo by the 20th of August.
Of the 28 people who died in the eight days to the 19th, 25 who died indoors were not using air conditioning.
On the Internet...
"
I don't understand why I don't use an air conditioner when I know it's hot." "I'm worried that many people around me don't use an air conditioner."
Many voices have been posted.
The heat here is certainly dangerous for me. If you stay in the room without the air conditioner, you may be still, but a large amount of sweat may flow out and your head may become dull.
In the case of the city in the previous case, about 80% of the 28 people who died in 8 days were in their 70s or older.
There are many posts on the Internet that elderly people do not want to use air conditioners.
"I spent only fan to my mother also has air conditioning in the house." Not used to say that "all right" to say I'm air conditioning Do not use ""
"and not careful (his father) I turn off the air conditioner and get tired in my room.''
Is the cold wind bad for you?
So why are older people unwilling to use air conditioners?
Mr. Tsuyoshi Hirayama, Elderly Handicapped Section, Komae City, Tokyo
“When I talk to seniors, I often hear people who have a feeling of “disgust” about air conditioning.”
What does it mean to hate an air conditioner that keeps a room cool?
Mr. Tsuyoshi Hirayama, Elderly Handicapped Section, Komae City, Tokyo
"It seems that many people think that they will be ill if they are exposed to the cold wind."
“I don't feel the need”
A man (69) from Arakawa Ward, Tokyo, who has never lived in an air-conditioned room, said the following.
A man from Arakawa Ward, Tokyo
“A fan is enough to outweigh the heat. I never felt the need.”
However, this has made it possible for people to wake up and have their heads shake even when sleeping.
He was worried about heat stroke by his doctor and care manager, and he finally bought an air conditioner for the first time in his life, saying "life is important".
Dr. Yasushi Miyake, director of the Center for Critical Care and Emergency Medicine of Teikyo University Hospital, who is familiar with heat stroke, points out that there is a reason why elderly people do not want to use air conditioners.
Dr. Yasushi Miyake
“When you get older, it becomes harder to feel the heat and your basal metabolism drops, so it gets colder than that of young people. Therefore, I think that many people dislike turning on the air conditioner. Many people think that it was okay because it was okay.''
Another thing I was worried about was the fact that air conditioners are often heard from old times. I think there are some people who were told by their parents when they were children. I also asked what it really is.
Dr. Yasushi Miyake
"Certainly, if it gets too cold, you may have a pain in your knees, a dry room, and a sore throat. However, if you set the temperature and humidity appropriately, it will not have much effect. I think that the old air conditioners were sometimes too cold because it was difficult to finely adjust the temperature, so I think the feeling of those days may remain.”
Dr. Miyake points out that it is better to use the air conditioner actively in the heat of this year.
"Because it costs electricity"
On the other hand, some people are unable to install air conditioners or refrain from using them due to financial reasons.
According to a consumption trend survey conducted by the Cabinet Office, the diffusion rate of room air conditioners as of March this year was 88.6%, which is not installed in more than 10% of households.
There is a difference of 10 points or more between households with annual income of 7.5 to 9.5 million yen (95.4%) and households with annual income of less than 3 million yen (82.7%).
A man in Maebashi (74) who lives alone while receiving public assistance. I have been living without an air conditioner for over 10 years.
A man from Maebashi
“I wanted something, but considering the purchase cost and the electricity bill after that, I couldn't decide to buy it.”
In addition to the two fans, I managed to spend time with a towel wrapped in cold ice wrapped around my neck, but this time I bought an air conditioner.
Although the heat is getting rid of it, he says he cannot keep it on because he is worried about the electricity bill.
A man from Maebashi
“I'm currently wearing it only before going to bed. It would be helpful if there was a system to continuously support electricity bills.”
Does an air conditioner have a high electricity bill?
Air conditioners often have the image that "it costs electricity".
According to a person in charge of Daikin, a major manufacturer, the air conditioner frequently turns on and off before the appearance of the control circuit called "inverter" that is currently used in almost all models (before the 1980s). It means that the amount of electricity used was large.
Electricity rates vary according to regions and times, so it is difficult to make a simple comparison.In addition, the person in charge continued to improve energy-saving performance, and the latest model consumes 2% less power than the model 11 years ago. It explains that it has been reduced by about 50%.
Tips to use well
A Daikin representative showed me an easy way to use an air conditioner well while saving on electricity bills.
The first is "When you go home, open the windows and turn on the ventilation before turning on the air conditioner." By letting the hot air that has accumulated inside the room escape to the outside and then operating the air conditioner, you do not need to waste power.
The second is "clean the filter inside the air conditioner once every two weeks". If the filter becomes clogged, it will require more power to cool the room.
The third is "Do not expose the outdoor unit of the air conditioner to direct sunlight." When the temperature of the outdoor unit rises, the efficiency of dissipating the accumulated heat decreases, so it is important to put it in the shade or build a good cloth.
In addition, it is also effective to keep the sun out of the room by blocking sunlight with curtains or blinds, or by blinding outside the window.
A person from Daikin said,
“The air conditioner consumes a lot of power when it starts up, so it's more energy-saving to keep it on. Frequently, both for your body, your comfort, and your money. We recommend that you keep it on without turning it on or off.
"Switch on" by calling
Experts point out that family calls are important to help older people use air conditioners to save lives from the dangerous heat.
Even if the person feels "not hot", it is effective to decide to switch on the air conditioner when the room temperature or humidity exceeds the standard (a guideline is 28 degrees, humidity 70%). Is that.
Dr. Yasushi Miyake:
Until now, it was possible for administrative staff and neighbors to visit their houses and see what they were doing, but that has become difficult because of the new corona. However, it is very important for the family to make a phone call etc.