The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that mold needs oxygen, moisture, and food to grow. Therefore, moist surfaces around your home are vulnerable to mold infestation, and this includes your air conditioner. Air conditioner mold is more dangerous as it spreads throughout your home quickly, resulting in poor indoor air quality and health issues in your household. Have a certified HVAC technician inspect your air conditioner regularly to prevent this issue from happening.
Best Ways To Prevent Air Conditioner Mold
Act fast when you notice mold in your air conditioner to prevent extensive damage in your home. Keep in mind that mold damage and its effects can be expensive. Even worse, home insurance policies only cover mold damage when the mold is caused by a covered peril, like flooding due to a faulty appliance. Therefore, preventing your air conditioner from getting mold can save you a lot of money. Read on to learn more about air conditioner mold.
Why Air Conditioner Mold Is Dangerous
According to Medical News Today, mold isn’t necessarily life-threatening. It can cause a variety of health issues in your home. Moreover, mold generates toxins that can negatively affect the respiratory system and cause problems like breathing difficulties, allergic reactions, and aspergillosis. It is worse if the mold is in your air conditioning unit as it will be distributed throughout your home. Mold can also impair your air conditioner’s functionality, especially if it has spread to its electrical components.
Signs That There Is Mold In Your Air Conditioner
Always keep a lookout for any signs pointing to a mold-infested air conditioner because mold is dangerous to your home. Mold might be hiding inside the moist components of your cooling system, making them difficult to see. Worse is that they are impossible to see with our naked eyes unless the mold spores sprout. Consulting an HVAC professional is the best way to determine if mold is in your air conditioner, ventilation system, or other parts of your house.
An HVAC professional should be able to determine if there’s mold, even if it’s still microscopic, as long as they have the right skills and experience with similar cases. Here are the signs to watch out for:
- Musty Smell: A musty odor is considered the first and most apparent sign of mold or mildew. Therefore, a musty smell with an undetermined source could be caused by air conditioner mold.
- Visible Signs: In general, mold is microscopic, especially in its early stages. It can generate spores as it grows, making them visible to the naked eye. Moreover, mold can be any color depending on the moisture level, light, and even food source. Mold can be white, gray, black, brown, green, red, purple, and orange, among others. The naked eye can see colored mold.
- Health Issues: When some or all the home’s occupants, including pets, suddenly fall sick with the air conditioner turned on, there could be mold in your air conditioner. Some of the common mold-related symptoms include coughing, sneezing, and teary eyes. You might also suffer from a stuffy nose, wheezing, itchy skin, and other allergic reactions. People who have asthma may suffer from more severe reactions.
How To Remove Mold From Your Air Conditioner
Let a qualified and experienced HVAC contractor handle the mold removal because of the risks involved. In addition, only a certified HVAC professional is equipped with the necessary skills and expertise to handle HVAC systems, including air conditioner issues, competently. Contact a reputable HVAC contractor to check, clean, and maintain your air conditioning system. This way, mold is removed, and further infestation is prevented.
Tips To Prevent Air Conditioner Mold
When you notice mold in your air conditioner and call a qualified HVAC professional to remove it, the damage might already be done. Therefore, preventing mold is far better than dealing with it when it has already infested your air conditioner. To keep your air conditioner in check, have an expert HVAC contractor conduct regular air conditioner maintenance. An HVAC contractor will do the following maintenance tasks to protect your cooling system from mold:
- Disinfect the AC: Disinfecting the air conditioner, ducts, and other ventilation system parts is usually a good way to kill any living organisms like mold. A qualified HVAC professional will use EPA-approved disinfectants to complete this procedure.
- Clean Or Replace Air Conditioner Filters Regularly: Your air conditioner filters should be cleaned every two weeks or more frequently, depending on how polluted it is in your environment. The US Department of Energy recommends that the HVAC contractor replace the air filters every 45 to 90 days.
- Apply A Mold Inhibitor: This chemical stops mold and mildew growth.
- Keep Air Ducts Dry: Moist surfaces only serve as a breeding ground for mildew and mold. Air ducts typically retain a lot of moisture so let your HVAC contractor keep them dry. They can also clean and repair your ductwork and replace water-damaged components.
- Install A UV light: UV light effectively solves your air conditioner mold problem as it kills virtually all microbes.
Conclusion
Air conditioner mold can damage your home and put your health at risk. With that in mind, hire a reputable HVAC contractor to conduct regular air conditioner inspections and cleaning. A certified HVAC contractor can also give you tips on how you can best protect your home from mold infestation.
Call Point Bay Fuel For Your Air Conditioning Needs
Point Bay Fuel provides top-notch HVAC services in Ocean and Monmouth County, New Jersey. Rest assured, we have only the best professionally certified technicians who can provide you with excellent heating and cooling installations, replacements, repairs, and maintenance. Each of our skilled, experienced, and knowledgeable techs can service your HVAC system correctly.
Our company guarantees highly affordable heating and cooling service costs in the area. Our tune-up services can improve your comfort, indoor air quality, and energy efficiency while reducing your energy bills. We can also recommend the best budget-friendly solutions for your HVAC repair or replacement system needs. We value your satisfaction, so all of our work comes with a guarantee. Book an air conditioner tune-up or service appointment with Point Bay Fuel today. We offer in-home estimates.
Contact us now by calling (732) 349-5059 to speak to one of our home comfort specialists!
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