How Do I Know If I Have Mold In My Air Ducts and What Should I Do About It??
How can I tell If I Have Mold In My Air Ducts? What Should I Do About It??
Molds grow in the dark and damp areas of your home. These usually hide in places that are hard to reach or difficult to find. Some of the most common places where you can locate mold growth include your attic and in your walls. You can also find these in the basement and under your kitchen sink. Another place where you can find these growths is in your air ducts.
Mold in air ducts are actually not that difficult to detect. If you notice a musty smell when you turn on your AC, chances are, you have molds in your ducts. There are other mold in air ducts symptoms that you can look out for to determine if you do have this problem. These include the following:
Discoloration around the vents – If you see black, brown, green, or yellow spots around your vents, there is a big chance you have molds in your ducts.
Mold growth inside – You can also open a vent and peer inside to check if there are molds. Choose the vent where the smell is stronger to check for molds within.
Sudden onset of mold-related illnesses – If you or your family experience health problems associated with molds, you might have these in your home. These can include rashes, itching, runny nose, headaches, and many more.
Molds In Air Ducts - Dangerous, Or Nothing To Worry About?
Some people believe that mold in air ducts is not a big deal. What they don’t realize is the presence of molds in any part of the home actually poses a danger to them. Molds can bring about a long list of illnesses to the occupants of the home. Molds in air ducts are even more dangerous. This is because they are in a system that can distribute spores to every part of your house.
What Causes Mold In Air Duct Systems?
How can mold get in air ducts? There are few different ways for molds to find their way into your duct system. These include the following:
Condensation inside the ducts – Molds grow when there is moisture and a food source to be found. When condensation occurs in your ducts and there is dirt where the condensation can fall, molds can grow. Condensation happens when cold air meets moist warm air. This happens during the summer when hot, moist air is present. When you turn on your AC, the humid air in your ducts produce moisture when it meets the cold AC air.
Leaks inside the ducts – If you have leaks that drip water into your ducts, this can also become the reason why molds grow there. Leaks can come from a hole in the ceiling, overflowing gutters, and even broken pipes.
How To Remove Mold From Air Conditioner Ducts?
Whether you have black mold in air ducts or light colored molds, these have to be removed. They all pose a huge threat to the wellbeing of everyone on the house. Black mold, in particular, is more dangerous than the others because it is more toxic. To remove any of these growths in your air ducts, you have to find air duct specialists who have a mold and mildew treatment or service.
Mold in air conditioning ducts are very challenging to remove. This is why it is best to leave this to professionals to deal with. Air duct cleaning companies often have a service that can take care of this problem. When you need air duct mold cleaning, air duct cleaning service providers can help.
How Often Should I Clean My Air Ducts?
If you want to prevent this problem from happening, having your ducts cleaned regularly can help. Schedule your duct cleaning every year to avoid this problem. If you have family members who are prone to respiratory ailments or if you have pets, have your ducts cleaned every 6 months.
Conclusion
Having clean ducts can help prevent this problem of mold growth in your ducts. If you do find yourself with this problem, contacting a duct cleaning company and HVAC specialists might help. They can check your AC to see if it is causing condensation to build in your ducts. They can also check for tears in your ducts and other possible reasons why molds are growing there. They can also help you remove the molds in your ducts and even prevent these from growing back.
