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Air Conditioning, Heating, and HVAC
Mould Problems
[Sept. 5, 2003]
Q. How do we know whether it is necessary to
replace the ducts and the air handler because of mould contamination in my
home?
A.
You need to know
how seriously and where your home [including all of your
heating/cooling equipment and ducts] is mould contaminated. Your
first step to solve the problem is to mould test the air of each
room, basement, crawl space, attic, and the outward air flow
from each heating/cooling duct register for the possible
presence of elevated levels of airborne mould spores, in
comparison to an outdoor mould control test. Elevated mould levels
signify a possible serious mould infestation problem and health
threat. To use our do it yourself mould test kits, visit:
Mold Mart To hire one of our Certified Mould Inspectors, visit:
Mould Profession To know how to do mould
remediation safely and effectively, please visit:
Mould RemovalBefore mould cleaning or
replacing the the heating/cooling equipment and ducts, they
should be first sealed [using plastic to tightly cover all
return air registers and supply registers to stop any further
mould contamination of the heating/cooling system. Then you would
first complete mould remediation of all other areas of your
house, including your personal property and clothing which
should be mould decontaminated outside of the house in the clean
room you can build pursuant to the instructions in our book mould
Health Book [ Mould Removal
]. Then you would use containment walls to seal off the mould remediated areas
from the work that needs to be done on heating/cooling equipment/ducts. If the
ducts are made of sheet metal [with NO insulation INSIDE the ducts], the sheet
metal interiors can be effectively cleaned and disinfected with mould
fungicides. If the ducts contain insulation INSIDE or are something like
corrugated pipes, throw those ducts away and replace with new ducts. You can
kill mould growth in about 70% of the surface areas inside heating/cooling
equipment and air handlers with either fungicide misting or foaming [both of
which are among dozens of useful mould-fighting skills taught in our
Online Mold Training and
Certification. For mould school information, please contact mould training
director Phillip Fry at
moldconsultant@yahoo.com.
[June 17, 2003]
Q.
I live in San Antonio,
TX. At certain times of the year, our air conditioning system seems to
generate black mould-like growth on some of the vents or diffusers. The system
is old - was installed in 1968. We leave the central fan on continuously to
keep the air filtering and to reduce particulates in the air. Sometimes we all
feel tired and develop sinus problems. Do we need a new AC system? Or can we
change the method of operation to reduce mould problems?
A. Your health problem symptoms and
the sighting of possible mould growth are two big reasons why you should have your home inspected and mould tested
for mould problems by either a Certified Mould Inspector [Certified
Mould Inspectors]
or by using our do it yourself mould test kits with our expert
mould laboratory analysis and mould identification [Mold
Mart]. mould can grow in large amounts inside heating/cooling
equipment and ducts if it has food to eat [airborne organic
dust] and moisture [high indoor humidity or water leaks into
heating/air conditioning equipment (hvac) and ducts]. If there
is a mould infestation problem anywhere in your home, the air
movement of heating/air conditioning systems [with air
continually being returned into the hvac equipment and ducts
through the return registers and ducts] will easily contaminate
hvac equipment and ducts. Thus, effective mould remediation of
mould problems in one area of your home will often require the
replacement of your entire hvac system [if you can afford it],
or at least professional cleaning and proper chemical treatment
of the hvac system with an effective mold mildew mold cleaner or your
home-made mold killer recipes. |
