Best Ways To Prevent Air Conditioner Mold
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), mold and mildew require moisture, food, and oxygen to grow. This means that any moist surface in your home provides an ideal environment for mold infestation, including your air conditioner.
Air conditioner mold can be very dangerous as it spreads quickly in your home. This can then cause health issues among your family members and even your pets.
For this reason, you must get your air conditioner checked by a certified HVAC contractor. On top of that, you should also know how to prevent mold from growing and spreading in your air conditioner.
In this article, we’ll share with you some of the best ways to prevent air conditioner mold. We’ll also discuss what signs you should watch out for as a means to detect if there’s mold present in your cooling unit. We will also cover how you can remove air conditioner mold.
So, if you’re interested to know more, read on…
Best Ways To Prevent Air Conditioner Mold
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Once you start noticing the presence of mold in your air conditioning unit, make sure to act fast before extensive damage occurs in your home.
Mold will not only cause your family’s health to decline, but it can also cause considerable and expensive damage to your home. Worse, your home insurance policy won’t cover mold damage caused by your air conditioner.
In other words, you must shield your air conditioner from mold and mildew to prevent paying for a huge amount of expenses that come with it.
Here is more information on air conditioner mold…
Why Air Conditioner Mold Is Dangerous
According to Medical News Today, mold is not necessarily life-threatening. However, that doesn’t mean that it can’t cause a myriad of health problems in your home.
Mold produces toxins that may affect your respiratory system. This often leads to problems like allergic reactions, breathing difficulties, and aspergillosis. So, when there’s mold in your air conditioner, things can get worse because your unit easily spreads mold spores around your house.
Other than affecting your health, mold can also impair how your air conditioner works, especially if it has already spread out to the other important parts of your unit.
Signs That There Is Mold In Your Air Conditioner
Because mold can greatly affect your health, it’s important to watch out for any signs of mold growth inside your unit.
Mold can easily hide inside the moist parts of the unit, making it difficult for you to see them. The worst part is that unless the spores start spreading out, it’s impossible to see them with just your naked eye.
The best way to determine a mold infestation in your AC, ventilation system, and other moist parts of your home is by consulting a professional HVAC contractor. They have the right skills and experience to determine the presence of mold, even if it’s microscopic.
Of course, you too can identify mold growth by watching out for the following signs:
- Musty Smell: Musty smells are considered the first and clearest sign of mold and mildew growth. If you are starting to detect this kind of smell, but you can’t determine where it’s coming from, it’s most likely from your air conditioner.
- Visible Signs: Mold may be invisible to the naked eye in its early stages. However, as it grows, it produces more spores and eventually becomes more visible. In addition, mold can also take any color depending on your home’s moisture levels, light, and food source. Colors can range from black, grey, white, green, red, orange, brown, and even purple. Once the mold is colored, it becomes even more visible.
- Health Issues: When some or all of your family members and pets suddenly become sick whenever the air conditioner is switched on, then there’s a big possibility that mold is present inside.
The most common mold-related issues you and your family may experience are sneezing, coughing, teary eyes, wheezing, stuffy nose, itchy skin, and other allergic reactions.
If someone is asthmatic, then they might experience a more severe reaction.
How To Remove Mold From Your Air Conditioner
If you think there is mold from your air conditioner, we highly advise addressing the issue right away.
However, considering the risks involved in the job, it’s best to leave this work up to qualified and experienced HVAC contractors. These people have the necessary skills and expertise to correctly handle any air conditioner problems, including mold growth issues.
So, contact a qualified HVAC contractor to come, insect, clean, and maintain your air conditioner. The best part here is that they won’t only remove mold but also prevent further infestation.
Tips To Prevent Air Conditioner Mold
Preventing mold infestation is always better than dealing with it once it has already spread in your air conditioner. The reason being is because there’s a high chance that by the time you’ve called an HVAC contractor to clean your unit, the damage may have already escalated to a dangerous level.
That said, regular air conditioner maintenance should be done by an expert HVAC contractor to ensure that your unit is in check.
Normally, the HVAC contractor will protect your air conditioner from mold by performing the following preventive and maintenance practices:
- Disinfecting Tthe AC: Disinfecting your AC unit, air ducts, and other parts of your ventilation system is a great way to kill any living organisms inside, including molds. Qualified HVAC contractors can also guarantee safety by using an EPA-approved disinfectant to do the task.
- Cleaning And Replacing Air Conditioner Filters Regularly: Depending on the amount of pollution inside your home, it’s best to get your HVAC air filter cleaned at least once a week or every two weeks. Aside from this, the US Department of Energy highly suggests calling an HVAC contractor to replace your air filter every 45 to 90 days.
- Applying A Mold Inhibitor: A mold inhibitor is a chemical that inhibits the growth of mold and mildew.
- Keeping Air Ducts Dry: Moist surfaces are breeding grounds for mold growth. Because air ducts usually retain lots of moisture, you must also tell your HVAC contractor to keep them dry by cleaning them, fixing any issues, and replacing any water-damaged parts.
- Installing A UV Light: UV light helps virtually kill all microbes from mold to bacteria, making it one of the most effective solutions to an air conditioner mold problem.
Conclusion
Air conditioner mold is not something that you should ignore. It can cause damage to your home and compromise your family’s health and comfort.
So, make sure that you hire a reputable HVAC contractor to inspect and clean your unit regularly. You can also get some valuable tips from certified HVAC contractors on how to protect your home from mold infestation.
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Lawes Company offers superior heating and cooling services in Monmouth and Ocean County, New Jersey.
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Lawes Company guarantees to provide the most competitive heating and cooling service costs in the area. Our maintenance services ensure to improve your comfort, increase your system’s energy efficiency, and reduce your home’s heating and cooling costs.
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