Have you been dealing with allergy-like symptoms yet the pollen count is down quite a bit? Chances are that you’re dealing with mold in your air ducts that may be causing your family to be sick. There are other signs you should watch out for like a musty smell or a significant decrease in the lifespan of your AC filter.
There are several mold in air ducts symptoms, causes, and solutions that you need to look out for. Keep reading to learn more.
Flu-Like Symptoms
The first signs of black mold in air vents will be the flu-like symptoms without actually being sick. These symptoms will include running nose, sore throat, and even a headache. Not all symptoms will be shared by everyone in the household.
If you have asthma or allergies, you might mistake mold for these two. An easy way to test if this is the problem is to get out of the house and see if the symptoms persist. If the symptoms still carry on after not being in the house, it could be an illness or disease that you should get looked at. But on the chance that you start to feel better, then you’ll want to get your AC checked.
Distinct Odor
Another easy-to-spot sign of mold will include the musty smell flowing from the vents. Think about a bathroom where the shower constantly gets turned to extremely hot water and then the area isn’t cleaned properly afterward. That smell that lingers in there will be similar to the smell that mold leaves behind.
This happens because of the humidity that your AC unit will try to eliminate from the household. That humid environment is the exact type of environment that promotes mold growth.
Noticeable Mold on Filter or in the Duct
The most noticeable sign of mold and the one that requires immediate attention will be if you start to notice it on vents or in the filter itself. Noticeable amounts of mold are a sign that you have a massive infestation of black mold, as mold will start as spores that are nearly invisible to the eye.
In the event that these happen, you’ll want to call someone immediately to come and take care of it. These areas will not completely come clean without the proper equipment otherwise.
What Causes Mold?
Mold in the air ducts will happen for a variety of reasons that all point back to one thing, excess humidity.
Not being able to filter out water or creating too much condensation that your AC unit can’t process will be the number one factor. But there are other reasons that this could happen.
Faulty HVAC System
A faulty HVAC system that isn’t filtering correctly could be the culprit of why you’re feeling unwell. One fault that could occur is the system not actually defrosting the cold air that builds up, leading to excess water and humidity that promotes mold growth.
There could also be a problem with your AC not turning on, which means the humidity will build up in there. Always try and run the AC for a portion of the day where there are high humidity days.
Leak in the AC
Another fault that could occur is a leak in the AC unit. This leak could present itself in one of two ways.
The first way would be a water leak that comes from a hole near the drip panel or the dehumidifier portion. In this instance, it will look like water drips down from the ceiling and will cause a noticeable stain on your ceiling. Water dripping from the AC vent will be another sign of a leak.
The other leak is an air leak. These leaks prevent the cold air from reaching the house. AC vents not blowing air but the AC unit is on and running is a good sign that you’re dealing with an air leak.
Temperature Too Low for AC
Setting your AC too low can cause ice to build up in your HVAC unit. When this happens, the AC unit will stop working and need to melt the ice block before it can start up again.
When the ice block melts, it creates humidity throughout the air ducts which can lead to mold growth. Your HVAC unit should come with a minimum and maximum range that you can use your unit at.
How Can You Treat Mold?
Treating mold isn’t the same process as cleaning up other messes in the house. Even if you scrub away at the mold, you won’t entirely remove it because of the fact that spores are so tiny that you can’t see them.
There are two methods to eliminate mold and prevent it from happening. The first thing you’ll want to do is get a professional cleaning service and then install a UV light installed for disinfection purposes.
Professional Cleaning
The professional cleaning service will take care of air ducts that are infected by utilizing special fungicides. Black mold can be tough to get rid of, so they’ll make sure that there is no spores leftover that could still continue to grow.
They’ll also ensure that there is no damage to your air ducts. These ducts can be fragile and can corrode faster if the right cleaner isn’t used.
Check out this professional vent cleaner for all your mold cleaning needs.
UV Light Installation
UV light installation works by killing off bioaerosols. You can consider getting this installed to help prevent black mold or other dangerous materials from entering your home and lingering.
Mold in Air Ducts Symptoms: Key Takeaways
Mold in air ducts symptoms will stem from excess mold spores taking hold in the AC vents. They can cause damage to you and your loved ones without you even needing to see that it is there. Don’t wait around, call a professional cleaner today if you think you have mold.
If you want to learn more about taking care of your home, then check out the rest of the blog. Know someone that complains about flu-like symptoms and they don’t know why? Share this article with them to see if black mold may be the cause.
