Air Conditioners And Indoor Air Quality

Beyond changing your furnace or air handler air filter before running your air conditioner, here are a few things to consider to keep your home's air healthy during the cooling season.

Mold

Mold is commonly found in varying amounts in residential air conditioning systems. Letting the mold grow unattended can decrease air quality and lead to health issues for those living in the home. AC drain pans, which hold standing water for long periods of time, are primary mold sources. 

Pipes that contain bends and curves may hold water from unit operation, leading to mold growth. Often when there is mold growing inside the unit, you may be able to see it growing on the inside of the air ducts. While it can be easy to spot mold around your air conditioner, it's not as simple as cleaning the surfaces where mold is visible, you must find the source of the problem to prevent mold from growing in the future. 

The cause of mold is excess moisture. The interior parts of your HVAC system are ideal places for mold to grow. This is usually a symptom of water leaks and flaws in the unit. A professional HVAC technician can locate the cause of excess the moisture and recommend solutions. 

To avoid dealing with mold issues in the future, examine your condensate drain regularly for clogs. If this drain gets backed up, the standing water can develop bacteria, which may turn into mold. Once you've removed the mold from the system, you'll need to make sure it doesn't return by regularly maintaining the unit to keep the ducts clean.

Air Duct Cleaning

Having ABC clean your HVAC ducts regularly will help to remove visible mold growing in the air ducts. If you can see mold in these places, there may be mold accumulating in other parts of your home. If the mold problem is severe enough, you'll need to contact a mold specialist. Make sure that the professional who cleans your system uses a cleaning treatment that does not contain harmful chemicals that may adversely affect your indoor air quality.

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