How Can I Tell if There’s Mold in My Ducts?

Air ducts play a critical role in your home’s HVAC system, and keeping them in optimal working conditions means proper ventilation and a consistent supply of air in and out of the living space. Mold in air vents is one of the main challenges facing homeowners, especially those in moist and warm areas. Humid and warm temperatures coupled with poor ventilation favor mold growth. Similarly, anything that traps moisture inside the ductwork and causes condensation can also expedite this mold growth. To prevent mold infestations, you need to understand the factors that favor its growth then find ways to eliminate them. Here are some of the possible causes of mold problems in your air conditioning unit and the subsequent air ducts.

 

Causes of Mold Infestation in Your HVAC System

Mold is a fungus, which occurs as tiny organisms, taking any color from orange, black, green, white to purple. Molds live anywhere where the conditions are favorable – either indoors or outdoors. They thrive on moisture and organic matter and reproduce via lightweight spores, which travel through the air.

When warm moist air passes a cold surface such as uninsulated duct work for instance in an attic or a crawl space, water droplets form within the ductwork; however, water droplets then build up instead of evaporating if there’s high water-vapor content outside. This creates a conducive environment for mold growth particularly if the duct work is contaminated with dust or dirt. To grow and reproduce, mold feeds on dust, dirt, pollen, dead skin cells, animal dander, and water, which collects inside the air duct.

Signs of Mold in Your Home

Before you can remove mold growth in your home, you need to spot the signs of mold infestation. Below are some of the signs to look out for in your HVAC system:

  • A strong, musty smell covering your entire house or a few adjacent rooms
  • There is mold growth around the air ducts and intake vents
  • You are experiencing some random headaches that set in when you are inside the house and go away when you are outside.

Some people are sensitive to mold, and the odor alone will make them sneeze or develop nasal congestion. Similarly, being in contact with the mold spores could trigger allergic reactions such as skin rash, watery eyes, running nose, asthma, chest tightness, etc.

Depending on the infestation level, you may not notice any of the above signs, but the mold is right inside the air ducts. The fungus can spread rapidly, and you need the proper treatment to get rid of the mold colonies entirely and effectively.

For minor mold problems, you can use some DIY solutions. A common option is to mix cleaning solutions such as household detergents with baking soda and water. If you are to buy a commercial mold removal remedy, you want to look for one that’s EPA registered to make sure you aren’t polluting your indoor space.

Throughout the cleaning process, you should turn off the heating or cooling vents so you can comfortably and safely clean mold off the infested HVAC parts. Rinse up these areas and dispose of the cleaning materials in an airtight trash bag. After a thorough cleaning, use a mold growth inhibitor to avoid mold resurgence inside the air ducts.

When to Seek Help

If the infestation level is severe, it’s best to consult a professional mold removal company, which will first conduct a thorough property inspection to ascertain that no other parts in your home suffer from mold infestation. Additionally, black mold infestation is easier to spot due to its distinct green to black appearance; however, the other mold species may escape your naked eyes, hence the need for specialized mold testing.

At times, the source of mold in your air ducts can be difficult to spot. The drains and drip pans are often damp and dark and may sometimes clog, creating the perfect conditions for mold to grow. With mold testing and remediation, you are leaving nothing to chance.

This is because the experts will quickly tell the level of infestation as well as suggest the best remediation strategy that will successfully remove mold from the heavily infested and hard-to-reach areas within your HVAC system.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know how to remove mold from air conditioner ducts using the DIY method and when to seek professional help, you stand a better chance of handling mold infestation than the average homeowner. Keeping your home tidy and spotless is easy, but ensuring optimal air quality can be challenging.

Warmth, high humidity levels, and water buildup make it easy for mold to grow and multiply throughout your home. The HVAC system, in particular, meets all these conditions, making it a potential breeding ground for fungus of all types.

Spotting mold infestation is easy in severe cases. All you need to do is check for strange musty odor, allergic reactions, and visible mold colonies around vents and registers. Your indoor air professional can take air samples under a specified set of conditions and have them analyzed for the number and types of mold species.  Typically, indoor air samples are compared with outdoor air samples and the numbers can generally tell the source of the mold problem.  Either way, working with experts in indoor air quality will make the entire mold testing, air duct cleaning, and mold remediation process easier and more convenient.

Our 12-Step Easton Mold Removal Process

Living in Easton opens a world of stunning nature, historic architecture, enriching community events – and sometimes, pesky mold. Whether it lurks in residential or commercial settings, mold is common for many local property owners and managers. However, living in Easton also comes with the benefit and peace of mind that experts are nearby to completely rid your space of mold. With an Easton mold removal service that follows a comprehensive, evidence-based protocol, you can protect your property and its occupants from mold dangers.

Moreover, you might not know this but leaving mold untreated can also lead to pest infestations which can cause a lot more commotion in your household. So unless you want to add visiting pest control professionals (check out https://www.pestcontrolexperts.com/local/illinois/ for instance) to your list of things to do, you should get that mold checked out. To ensure your family, colleagues, and tenants are safe, our certified indoor air quality experts in Easton follow a rigorous approach to Easton mold removal that guarantees your property will be mold-free when we’re finished.

The following is our 12-Step Easton mold removal process:

1. Evaluation
2. Containment
3.Property protection
4. HEPA vacuuming
5. Wet material demolishment
6. Antimicrobial treatment application
7. Surface sealing
8. Surface scrubbing
9. Porous surface coating
10. Air washing and testing
11. Completion certification
12. Building material restoration (optional)

Continue reading to learn more about this 12-step Easton mold removal process and what you can expect.

Evaluation

Before we begin, our certified indoor environmentalist will arrive at the property to inspect and test for mold. Our goal is to identify the root cause of mold growth to stop it in its tracks.

Containment

Minimizing mold spore spread is critical for a mold-free property. We build a physical barrier (typically plastic sheeting) to isolate the affected area and treat the isolated area with a HEPA filtration system.

Property protection

The next step in the Easton mold removal process is to apply tarps over the floors and personal belongings to prevent damage and contamination.

HEPA vacuuming

A specially designed HEPA vacuum thoroughly removes dust, debris, and mold spores from personal items. Once they’re clean, we remove these items from the containment area.

Wet material demolishment

Mold thrives on moisture. We remove and dispose of any wet building materials on the property to remove this energy source, such as drywall, insulation, trim, and carpet.

Antimicrobial treatment application

Our Easton mold removal process includes plenty of preventative measures to deter regrowth. An antimicrobial treatment is one such measure. When applied to porous surfaces, such as floor joists and roof rafters, these agents can prevent future mold.

Surface sealing

A specialized sealant on masonry walls will minimize groundwater weeping and resist hydraulic pressure, critical for successful Easton mold removal.

Surface scrubbing

Armed with a heavy-duty antimicrobial cleanser, we scrub surfaces within the containment area to thoroughly remove mold from Easton properties and minimize the chance of regrowth.

Porous surface coating

Antimicrobials are at work once again in the next step of our Easton mold removal process. We coat any porous surfaces in the containment area with an antimicrobial coating for protection.

Air washing and testing

HEPA air washers remove any remaining airborne spores from the containment area. After 1-3 days of recirculation, we retest the area for mold.

Completion certification

In the final stage of our Easton mold removal process, we issue a certificate of completion once the property has met our astringent mold-free criteria. You also receive a two-year no-mold guarantee.

Building material restoration (optional)

If your Easton mold removal process requires the restoration of building materials, such as drywall or flooring, we can help minimize the inconvenience of managing multiple contractors.

To learn more about our Easton mold removal process or schedule service at your property, visit our website, or call (610) 890-6300.