Out with the Old and Preventing the Mold

Defending against dreaded mold

The weather is heating up, which means you air conditioner is bound to get much more of a workout, which can easily cause ducts to get a little moist. Combine that with spring’s characteristic humidity and you have the perfect recipe for mold growth.

Mold presents significant health problems and can make your spring allergies feel even worse than usual, so let’s take a look at how you can keep mold from building up in your air ducts.

Control Condensation

Mold loves moist, dark areas, and the hot outdoor temperature can cause your cooler ducts to sweat, forming condensation inside and out. To keep moisture to a minimum, insulate your ducts and cooling coils. Wrapping a duct in insulating material keeps its surface warm, preventing the temperature differential that leads to sweating. Surround the insulation in a vapor barrier to prevent moisture from getting into the insulation itself.

Run a dehumidifier in your home. If your home experiences excessively humid conditions, consider a whole-house dehumidification system. Many times these can be added on to an existing system.

Have a UV Light Installed in Your Plenum

UV light from the sun it the best natural killer of mold. The inside of your system is dark and moist near your coil and at the beginning of your duct system. With a stand alone UV light installed inside your coil or supply-air plenum you can bring the sunlight right inside your system, keeping it mold free!

If you have a lot of mold in your system already, a UV light won’t get rid of it. First you’ll need to have your system professionally sprayed, scrubbed and disinfected, then install the UV light to kill mold spores before they land on any surface.

Better Filtration Stops Mold Before It Starts

Most filters in the average home are very poor and only catch the big stuff. Mold spores are tiny, measured as small as 3.0 microns! To put that in perspective, visible dust is as small as 10 microns. Only a MERV 10-16 Rated Filter can even think of stopping mold spores that small.

Maintaining Your Air Conditioning System

If your like the rest of us, things that are out of sight are out of mind. Our air conditioning system can get neglected because it’s in our attic or on the side of our house. The best way to keep your system running in top condition and mold free is think about getting a regularly scheduled maintenance from a professional HVAC contractor that you trust. Here are some of the benefits:

• They call and remind you when it’s time
• Schedule when it’s convenient for you
• You get a true professional cleaning, testing and ongoing evaluation of your system
• Each visit is usually costs less when you part of a maintenance club
• Some companies give a discounted rate off of repairs
• Some companies will waive their repair diagnosis fee for club members
• You can get priority service over new customers when it’s busy

Combo Punch Knockout

Preventing mold or getting rid of it will always require a combination of methods working together, cleaning, filtering, UV lighting surfaces, and maintaining your system regularly. Don’t forget, it’s important for your health and your systems longevity.