Signs Of Air Duct Mold
If your home is smelling musty, it might not be your carpets, couches, or clothing. There is a chance that the smell is coming directly from your air ducts, which are blowing mold spores and odors out of the vents. But a smell is the least alarming sign of air duct mold.
Slightly more troubling signs of mold are sneezing and coughing when the air is being heated or cooled. You may even suffer from headaches that disappear once you leave the ventilated room. Mold can also cause many symptoms that seem like allergic reactions, even causing nausea.
How Air Duct Mold Forms
The most common reason mold forms is that the evaporator coil produces moisture and is free from sunlight. This is the perfect environment for mold to grow. If you have ever been around an exterior air conditioning unit, you have probably seen it dripping.
Moisture creation is a necessary byproduct of air conditioning. As the humid air is pulled through the air filtration matrix, the air is separated from the condensation. Resulting in cooled air, which passes through the vents, and the moisture that remains. And without sunlight (the best disinfectant), this remaining moisture can foster mold growth.
Traditional air duct cleaning services do not include mold removal as it is a more labor-intensive process. However, technicians will check for it and show you if there is a mold issue. If mold is detected, it is best to have it removed.
Cleaning Air Duct Mold
Begin by addressing your coils, aka evaporator coils. The coils are where you’re most likely to find the mold. You will also want to check your drip tray, which is a basin intended to collect the excess condensation. This is very rarely an issue you will be handled with dryer vent cleaning because of the heat in this system.
Once the mold is located, you want to clean it with more than just soap and water. An antimicrobial spray, anti-fungal, or antibacterial spray, should be sufficient. However, you should use a cleaning product that will also provide lasting resistance to regrowth.
Preventing Air Duct Mold
As we already mentioned, there are cleaning products that clean mold and prevent regrowth. They are good in the short to medium term, but some ventilation units are more sustainable to mold than others. So you might want a longer-lasting solution.
UV lights can be installed to shine on the coils. The UV spectrum provides the cleaning power of the sun, which gets rid of almost all germs (99.999%). This light can be hazardous to humans as well, but it will be contained in the vent. So it will not be visible or impactful to anything outside.
Closing Thoughts
If you need any help with air quality issues, be sure to contact us today. Our duct cleaning services provide the peace of mind you need to get back to breathing easily. Mold can create very serious health issues, so if you suspect there is an issue, take immediate action!