You likely don’t think much about this problem—you might not even know it was a problem! But because your air conditioner provides you with the cool air that you breathe in every day during the summer and beyond, it’s definitely a problem that should concern you.
Sure, you could call someone to clean out your ducts, but is that really resolving the problem, or temporarily relieving symptoms? (Hint: It’s the latter!)
We’ll get to what you can do about mold growth that’s an effective solution. But first, let’s talk about the common causes of this mold development.
- Moisture: Air conditioning systems naturally dehumidify the air (a bit) just by the nature of their operation. However, when you live somewhere like we do, it’s easy for excessive moisture to take hold, particularly within the dark environment of your ducts. As a result, mold growth is encouraged.
- Unused AC Unit: We can’t imagine anyone in south Florida not using their air conditioners on practically a 24/7 basis. However, we do have brief but cool winters that may allow you to shut your AC off for a few weeks. Or, you might go on vacation and leave it off (we don’t recommend this!). Whatever the case, an unused air conditioning unit allows moisture to settle in and mold to build up.
- Skipped Maintenance: Yearly maintenance allows our technicians to thoroughly inspect and clean your entire air conditioner. Not only does this help prevent the growth of mold, but it helps us spot it before it takes over your entire system. We recommend you have maintenance done in the late winter or early spring, before you’ll need your system the most.
- Dust Buildup: Dust buildup is almost inevitable. Unfortunately, if you don’t have it under control with the right indoor air quality products, it can settle in your air conditioner and encourage mold growth.
“What Can I Do about Mold Growth?”
Call our team! Our licensed mold remediators will clean and remove any materials exposed to heavy moisture, and take steps to reduce the moisture levels inside your home to restrict mold growth, both inside your air conditioner and outside. After all, mold lives off of any organic material, so if there’s excessive moisture in your home, it will continue to grow until the moisture is reduced.
“Can I Prevent Mold Growth on My Own?”
Sure! We still recommend giving us a call and letting us do an assessment to see if there’s already mold in your home, but so long as you do that and schedule AC maintenance once a year (twice a year may be recommended for some service areas because of the high use we get out of our air conditioners), there are steps you can take to prevent the growth of mold:
- Keep your AC clean! This includes clearing the outside unit of things like tree branches, leaves, lawn clippings, and lawn mulch.
- Replace damaged ductwork. You may get by with professional sealing or repairs, but if you’ve already done this and your ductwork still has pinhole leaks or tears, it can be inviting moisture in and encouraging mold development.
Why choose Envirotech Air Quality Services over our competitors? We our one of the very few HVAC companies in south Florida who are also licensed mold assessors, mold remediators, and duct cleaners. Contact us today!
