Regular cleaning of the HVAC ducts will prevent mold growth. Not cleaning the ducts regularly could result in mold buildup, or the buildup of other materials that negatively impact your home's indoor air quality. Call King for our ductwork cleaning service.
Unfortunately, your air conditioning system and your air ducts are a common place for black mold to reside. Moisture plays a significant role in the growth of mold. Your air conditioning system can act as an incubator for black mold because of its constant change in humidity levels throughout the summer season.
The short answer to the question above is: YES! Air duct cleaning, when done the right way, is proven to be effective at removing mold from your ventilation system and therefore making your living and working environment a lot healthier.
If there is mold in your ducts, the air flowing through the ducts may loosen the spores and push them around your vents. If you look at your vents and see black, green, brown, or yellow growth, it may be mold.
It's possible for mold to grow in your air ducts but it's fairly uncommon. However, it's smart to test for mold in your vents if you suspect it may be an issue, as it can cause issues for anyone with allergies, asthma, or other respiratory problems.
Condenser coils pull moisture out of the air and into drip pans, and if these become clogged they create the perfect environment for mold to grow. Keep in mind that mold spreads through spores, which are tiny particles that are invisible to the naked eye.
With poor ventilation, black spores can grow and spread in air vents within 24–48 hours. If an area of your home or business always smells like mildew, or you can see mold spores on the wall, black mold could be the reason.
The truth is that there is no evidence that having your ducts professionally cleaned would make your air any cleaner than it is now. In fact, the EPA did a study to determine the results of air duct cleaning. Here is what they concluded: "Duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems.
Most molds produce musty odors that are the first indication of a problem. Mold can grow anywhere there is adequate moisture or a water problem. The best way to find mold is to look for signs of mold growth, water staining, warping, or to follow your nose to the source of the odor.
Can a Dehumidifier Remove Mold? Simply put, dehumidifiers cannot remove mold. The machine is designed to remove moisture in the air. This means that if there is already a presence of mildew in a home or building, it will not be removed just by working to reduce the moisture after the fact.
Mold Growth- The colder you keep your home, the colder the walls, ceiling, floors, windows and more will be. Water vapor that gets into these porous materials is the ideal place for mold to grow. This also can happen when humid outdoor air gets into the home and the indoor humidity is low in the air.
Many fungi grow well at temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, which are also ideal temperatures for human comfort. In addition, as mentioned above, temperature gradients often produce the moisture needed for mold growth.
The ideal temperature is between 77 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. During the summer months, temperatures are often higher than normal inside the home. Make an effort to keep temperatures inside the home lower during the summer months. Setting the thermostat to the low 70s makes it more difficult for mold to grow.
These symptoms usually first appear 2 to 9 hours after exposure and last for 1 to 3 days. Other affected persons have progressive shortness of breath and cough, as well as weight loss.
If you don't get around to cleaning or checking your ducts often, your health can be compromised and your HVAC system will have to work harder to heat and cool your home. Consequently, you would be seeing an increase in your electrical and gas bill.
Some people are sensitive to molds. For these people, exposure to molds can lead to symptoms such as stuffy nose, wheezing, and red or itchy eyes, or skin. Some people, such as those with allergies to molds or with asthma, may have more intense reactions.
Blood test.
A blood test, sometimes called the radioallergosorbent test, can measure your immune system's response to mold by measuring the amount of certain antibodies in your bloodstream known as immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies.
Respiratory symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, watery eyes, and skin irritation are the predominant symptoms. Mold is also known to cause asthma and life-threatening primary and secondary infections in immune-compromised patients that have been exposed.
According to our expert air duct cleaning technicians, it takes three to five hours to properly clean your air duct system.