Dealing With the Problem of Molds in Your HVAC System
There is a considerable difference between the growth of fungus at a certain part of the room or house and the growth of mold in the air ducts of your HVAC system. The latter is much dangerous and contagious. That’s because molds do get spread by air. And ducts carry the air to the entire house and all parts. This means once one part of the duct is infested, the infestation will spread to the whole house through the HVAC ducts. And what happens when the molds spread everywhere inside the HVAC ducts? Well, it’s a serious issue with health and hygiene of people staying in the house and breathing that air. The air would contain spores of molds, and these are allergens and bad for health in several ways.
Factors contributing to the growth of molds
The following factors contribute to the growth of molds inside the HVAC ducts:
- Humidity
- Warm air/temperature
- Spores of mold brought by air, human hair, pet dander, dead skin cells, dirt, dust, etc
When these three combines, the spores germinate, and colonies of molds start growing. Gradually more spores take them to all parts of the system, and they grow everywhere from the ducts to the AC vents, and over the AC units, etc.
Is it okay to stay under the influence of such mold infestation?
It’s never okay and healthy to stay in such a place. The air carries such heavy doses of mold spores which are harmful allergens for humans and their pets and impacts the body slowly and gradually with several allergies and problems. Chronic itches, cough and cold, breathing troubles, skin reactionsand conditions, eye irritations, nose irritations, and many other problems develop with such mold infested air ducts and air coming out of those.
How to detect the problem?
Detecting that your HVAC air ducts are infested with molds is not that difficult if you nose functions normally well. You would smell the mold anyway. It’s a musky smell, a bad odor that comes when there is a lot of humidity in a sealed space. You will get more obvious signs when you turn on the AC. Instantly the air filling in the room from the ducts will load your senses with that feeling that things arenot right. You will feel irritation and may feel slight burning feeling on the skin, the insides of noses, and the eyes. Sometimes with excessive mold growth, the molds would be seen over the HVAC vents and the openings of ducts, and over the machine itself.
How to remove molds from the central air conditioning?
Removing mold in air ducts is not an easy job. Even if you feel it’s a short DIY project, it’s not so. There will be chances of recurrent infestations after a cleaning. Besides, reaching the nooks and crannies in the ducted system for complete cleaning may not be so easy for you. The job is best done by mold cleaning professionals who work with ducted air conditioners.
Finally
There are HVAC mold cleaning services that ensure total cleaning and maintenance of dry ducts using insulation and sealing solutions. They would also clean with such chemicals that the infestation does not come back after a few days. And hence, it’s best to seek professional help only for better health and hygiene.