Anytime mold is involved in a home it can be a daunting task for homeowners. Calling on the right professionals is key here. The moment that you notice mold is growing on your ceiling and near the air conditioner ducts you should call on a professional mold remediation company. They can remove the mold from your home safely and professionally. How to remove mold from air conditioner ducts? Call on a your local professionally licensed mold remediation contractor.
Let’s take a look below at what mold is and what we can do to prevent it.
What Is Mold
Believe it or not, mold comes in a variety of colors. The most common mold for ac ducts is typically black mold. Oftentimes you can see the mold spores as they begin to collect and multiply on your air vents. Also, mold is naturally occurring and is a part of the fungi family. Mold can grow in any damp place and the mold spores float around in the air and eventually land in areas of high moisture.
Colors of mold designate how volatile and troubling it can be to your health. Black mold is a huge concern to homeowners and should be immediately taken care of. Furthermore, if you happen to see black, brown, white, blue, green, orange, or even purple mold, it is recommended that a swift cleaning occur.
Typical Molds
The most prevalent molds and where they might grow are listed below.
- Black – also known to be the most harmful of the molds. Toxic to homeowners health due to the mycotoxins that are produced. Should be removed quickly and professionally.
- Blue – typically found in your bathroom, on the ceiling or walls. Moisture from the steam in your shower is a reason for these mold spores to appear.
- Green – loves the dampest corners of your walls. Often found in the basement or bathrooms with non-working exhaust fans.
- White – loves the basement and dampest and coolest places in your home. Using water on it can tell you if it is a mineral deposit or mold. If spraying water on it makes it dissolve then it is simply mineral deposits. Mold will not ever dissolve.
What Causes It
As your air conditioner works, it is blowing cold air or warm air through the air ducts. Additionally, this can create a moisture barrier of condensation as the air inside the air duct meets the air being produced by the air conditioning unit. When the water vapor is created, it settles on the walls of the air ducts. This creates an environment that is conducive to mold growth.
Mold loves to feast on dust, dirt, dead skin cells, pollen, and pet dander. Also, over time these items can collect inside the air duct and settle in the water vapor. Thus, creating a situation that is perfect for mold to feast and grow.
How Do I Know
Based on how your health is can be a clear indicator of mold growth in your air conditioner ducts. As the ac unit is being used, the air can be blowing mold spores all-around your home. This can cause some major health changes. Let’s take a look below at some warning signs.
- Mildew Smells – a strong musty smell throughout your house is a clear indicator of mold growth in the ac ducts.
- Allergy Like Symptoms – you begin feeling irritations in your nose, throat, and eyes. It might feel like allergies, but could very well be mold in your ac ducts.
- Headaches – if you are sitting in your home and watching tv or reading a book and you begin experiencing headaches that only go away when you leave the house.
- Feeling ill – nausea, fatigue, dizziness are felt when you are home, but nowhere else in your daily routine.
- Obvious signs – the moment you see mold growth on your ac vents is a clear indicator. You might notice it on the ac drip pan, intake vents, and around your air ducts.
How Can I Prevent It
Prevention of mold growth is definitely something that can be done by homeowners. How to remove mold from air conditioner ducts is not a simple task. You might not be perfect in your attempts, but you can certainly minimize any chances of mold taking over your home. Here are some ways that you can prevent mold growth in your home:
- Replace your air filters.
- Insulate your air ducts. This reduces condensation inside the air ducts.
- Clean your drip pans. Water collection can promote the mold colonies growth.
- Keep the system dry. You will want to seal and condensation and leak areas. Make sure to do this with the proper EPA recommendations. You don’t want to use a seal that can actually poison your home if it gets into your air ducts and spreads fumes throughout.
- Use a dehumidifier. A dehumidifier will suck out the water vapor from its surrounding air flow. This substantially reduces the growth source of mold spores. Reducing mold growth.
- Check the ducts regularly. Hire a professional to check your ductwork on a regular basis. This cleaning of the ducts can save your health and expenses of future damage.
Other Recommended Maintenance
While you are looking into mold growth in your air conditioner ducts, it is a great idea to understand how fast mold can grow. Getting an understanding of how fast mold grows and where can help any homeowner prevent a very expensive and daunting task from occurring.
Next, look into whether or not you can stay in the home. Remember that mold has an unfortunate ability to harm homeowners with many health risks. Staying in your home during mold remediation might not be for you. It all depends on the type of mold that is being removed.
Additionally, understanding how to get rid of mold from your basement is important. Ensure that the basement isn’t collecting water and is as sealed up as it possibly could be.
Lastly, keep the moisture out. During the winter months, you want to make sure that all doors and windows are sealed properly. If cold air is getting in, it can interact with the warm air and create a moisture explosion in your home that will not be seen until the first mold spore growth shows up!
When Do I Call A Professional
For the health and safety of your family, you will need to call on a professional to remove any mold that appears in your home. Getting a thorough inspection of your home can show you where you might need mold remediation.
Call on your local home inspection team so that they can conduct a full home inspection and identify if mold is growing in your home. From there, they can recommend the most reputable mold remediation company in town.
Conclusion
The bottom line with mold prevention is to keep your home as dry as possible. Because you cannot see mold spores floating in the air, it is best to maintain the sources that mold thrives on. Limiting your home to damp and cold areas can substantially reduce the growth of mold in your home. Keep an eye on your basement drain.
If your basement drain gets clogged, the pooling water is a huge source of food for mold. Also, it can produce moisture build-up and the cold air meets the water and creates condensation. Mold spores love this scenario. Lastly, if you notice any mold in your home, immediately call on a professional. If you aren’t sure, call your local home inspection team for a full home inspection. Call on Twin State inspections to conduct a quality home inspection in the Twin State areas of VT and NH.
