Best Ways To Prevent Air Conditioner Mold
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), mold requires moisture, food, and oxygen to grow. This means that any moist surface in your home is a candidate for mold infestation, including your air conditioner. Air conditioner mold is particularly more dangerous since it will spread in your home quickly, causing health issues among your family members and pets. For this reason, you should get a certified HVAC contractor to inspect your air conditioner regularly.
Best Ways To Prevent Air Conditioner Mold
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In case you notice mold in your air conditioner unit, you should act fast before extensive damage occurs in your home. This is because the effects of mold damage can be expensive. Worse still, your home insurance policy will only cover mold damage in case the mold is a result of a covered peril, such as flooding caused by a faulty appliance. In other words, shielding your air conditioner from mold can save you a lot of expenses. Here’s some more information on air conditioner mold.
Why Air Conditioner Mold Is Dangerous
While mold may not necessarily be life-threatening, per Medical News Today, it can cause a myriad of health problems in your home. More specifically, mold produces toxins that affect the respiratory system, leading to problems such as allergic reactions, breathing difficulties, and aspergillosis. It is even worse if the mold is in your air conditioner considering it will circulate throughout your living space. Mold may also impair the working of your air conditioner, especially if it has spread to the electrical parts.
Signs That There Is Mold In Your Air Conditioner
Because mold is dangerous in your home, you should always watch out for any signs that your air conditioner is infested by mold. This is especially because mold may hide inside the moist parts of the air conditioner, something which will be difficult to see. Worse still, unless the spores of the mold sprout, it may be impossible for you to see them with naked eyes. The best way to determine the presence of mold in your AC, ventilation system, and other parts of your house is to consult a professional HVAC contractor.
With the right skills and experience with similar cases, an HVAC professional should be able to tell if there is mold even if it is still microscopic. That said, watch out for the following signs:
- Musty Smell: Experts consider musty smell the first and clearest sign of mildew or mold. As such, any musty smell whose source is undetermined could be that of the air conditioner mold.
- Visible Signs: Although mold is generally microscopic, especially in its young stages, it can produce spores as it grows and become more visible to the naked eye. Additionally, depending on the levels of moisture, light, and even source of food, mold can take any color. It ranges from black, grey, white, green, red, orange, brown, and purple, among others. A colored mold will be more visible to the naked eye.
- Health Issues: In case some or all of your family members, including pets, suddenly fall sick when the air conditioner is turned on, you should suspect the presence of mold in the air conditioner. That said, common symptoms of mold-related issues include, among others, sneezing, coughing, and teary eyes. They may also include wheezing, stuffy nose, itchy skin, and other allergic reactions. Asthmatic people can experience more severe reactions.
How To Remove Mold From Your Air Conditioner
Considering the risks involved in removing mold, you should always leave the work to a qualified and experienced HVAC contractor. Additionally, only a certified HVAC contractor has the necessary skills and expertise to handle air conditioner problems competently. With this in mind, contact a qualified HVAC contractor to come and inspect, clean, and maintain your air conditioner. This way, they can remove mold and prevent further infestation.
Tips To Prevent Air Conditioner Mold
By the time you discover the presence of mold and call a qualified HVAC contractor to remove it, the damage may already be done. In other words, preventing mold infestation is way better than dealing with it when it has already grown in your air conditioner. That said, regular air conditioner maintenance by an expert HVAC contractor should keep your air conditioner in check. The HVAC contractor will protect your air conditioner from mold by performing the following maintenance practices:
- Disinfecting the AC: Typically, disinfecting the air conditioner, air ducts, and other parts of your ventilation system is a good way to kill any living organisms such as mold. A qualified HVAC contractor will use an EPA-approved disinfectant to perform this task.
- Cleaning And Replacing Air Conditioner Filters Regularly: Depending on the amount of pollution in your environment, you should get your AC filter cleaned every two weeks or even more regularly. An HVAC contractor should also replace it every 45 to 90 days, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
- Applying A Mold Inhibitor: This is a chemical that inhibits the growth of mold and mildew.
- Keeping Air Ducts Dry: A moist surface is a breeding ground for mold and mildew. Since air ducts usually retain a lot of moisture, let your HVAC contractor keep them dry. They can clean them, fix any issues, and replace water-damaged parts.
- Installing A UV light: UV light kills virtually all microbes from mold to bacteria, making it an effective solution to the air conditioner mold problem.
Conclusion
Air conditioner mold can cause damage to your home as well as compromise your health. Therefore, you should hire a reputable HVAC contractor regularly to inspect your air conditioner and clean it. Moreover, you can get tips on how to protect your home from mold infestation from a certified HVAC contractor.
Call McAllister Energy For Superior Heating & Cooling Solutions
McAllister Energy offers high-quality HVAC services in Camden County, New Jersey. We hire only the best professionally certified technicians who conduct superior heating and cooling services. Some of our HVAC services include indoor air quality solutions, HVAC maintenance, heating and cooling installations, repairs, ductless systems, and much more. All our techs provide accurate HVAC services on time, every time.
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