Any house with a serious problem with the interior air quality can be the cause of various illnesses to you and your family. When you are in the house day in and day out, a “sick house” can cause headaches and skin problems as well as causing your eyes to water and the tendency to easily become fatigued. There can be many reasons for this but one which is often the culprit is mold in air ducts.
This is a real problem in those areas of the country that traditionally are very humid although any water in an air duct can have the same result. Humidity and moisture play a key role in the growth and spread of mold. As mold grows it produces spores, these spores float on air currents and should they land in an area that will support mold growth, in no time a new colony starts. If the house is seriously contaminated one can expect each cubic foot of air to contain untold thousands of spores.
Air conditioners can cause mold:
Mold and mildew is not difficult to identify as it has a distinct color and odor. Eliminating such visible mold is easy enough but should the spores become airborne they can quickly get into the air ducts where they are invisible and undetectable. Air duct systems in warm climates such as are found along the Florida coast are natural incubators, as the humidity in the duct alternates between high and low, mold grows, producing spores which are then sent throughout the duct system to the entire house.
Inhibiting the growth of mold in air ducts:
Mold growth can be tempered somewhat with effective filtration as the ducts will be cleaner. If however, the filters are neglected and are not kept clean or replaced often enough, the dust build-up on the filter forces air to bypass it. As the air is laden with dust and spores it is easy to see how the problem becomes difficult to manage.
With the ever changing temperature in an air duct there is bound to be moisture. When this moisture meets with an accumulation of dust, dirt, and other airborne debris it can cake, this becomes an ideal environment for the growth of mold. In situations like this it is important to have the ducts cleaned periodically. Cleaning will not necessary put an end to the problem, this is why wise homeowners coat the inside of the ducts with a product that inhibits mold growth.
Once you have got the ducting system clean, to keep mold in air ducts from forming it is highly recommended that the interior be treated with a zinc based material. Duct Armor is the ideal choice; it is water based and contains no harmful chemicals.
