Air Duct Cleaning for Mold Issues

How to Deal with Mold in Duct work 

Mold is a nightmare to many homeowners especially the ones living in warm and humid places. It’s not only detrimental to our health but also can destroy your property. It can grow on almost any surface so long as food and water are present. You can find it growing in the basement, inside the walls, under carpet, on bathroom walls, and on any wooden surface. Rarely, mold can grow in your HVAC systems. 

When mold grows in air ducts, it’s more dangerous than when it grows in any other place. Do you know why? This is because mold spores are blown away to other places every time the machine is running. The furnace of the air condition helps to circulate the spores through the air thus contaminated the whole house. This makes everyone in the house at risk of inhaling the spores which can cause serious health problems. 

What are the effects of mold in air ducts?

Thousands of mold spores are blown away by the air condition. These spores contaminate the whole house putting everyone at risk of inhaling them. Every person who inhales them can suffer from mold symptoms. These symptoms may be either allergic or neurological symptoms. Allergic symptoms are mainly caused by non-toxic types of mold and include skin rashes, nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, eye irritation, difficulty in breathing, and chest congestion. Neurological symptoms, on the other hand, can include severe persistent headache, reduced attention, impaired thinking, drowsiness, numbness and tingling sensations, and loss of memory. Allergic mold symptoms appear when a person is in the contaminated room and disappear when he/she is outside. 

Are there any Signs of mold in air ducts?

A homeowner can know when their air ducts are contaminated. The first sign of mold in air ducts is its characteristic musty smell. This is a pungent irritating smell produced by mold and mildew. When you sniff this kind of smell in more than one room or when your air conditioner is running, and you cannot locate it, you should immediately suspect that it’s hiding in the air con. However, the surest way to know that your air ducts are contaminated is by having a professional mold inspector inspect and test for it. 

A professional mold inspector will inspect the whole equipment and locate it wherever place it may be hiding. He will collect air samples in different rooms to check the air quality. The samples will also be used to determine the type of the mold.

Why does mold grow in air ducts?

Actually, mold can grow in virtually any place with moisture and food. The food is derived from the material where it grows on or from dirt. Moisture comes from water leakages which increase humidity. Now when you fail to perform air duct cleaning for a while, dirt and moisture can accumulate in the ducts and stimulate mold growth. So mold grows in dirty duct systems which have been neglected for long. If you don’t clean the ducts, mold will continue to grow causing to mold problems. These mold problems will persist until when the source of moisture is repaired or eliminated and the ducts cleaned.

How to remove mold from duct work and stop the mold problems

The only way to stop duct work contamination is to have them cleaned and removed by a professional air duct cleaning company. Although you can do it yourself, the do-it-yourself methods may prove ineffective. Professional cleaning of mold in air ducts is recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency as special equipment are needed which an average homeowner may not have. Also, you may not have the necessary skills required in cleaning duct work and a slight mistake can damage the equipment. Additionally, you may not remove the entire mold which is risky as it continues spreading through the air. 

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="300"] Removal of Mold in Duct Work is Hard[/caption]

The ducts are cleaned with EPA-approved biocides which kill the mold. They are also coated with biocides to prevent future contamination. 

How do you find the best air duct cleaning professional?

Mold remediation experts are trained to remove mold from every location. They have undergone extra training to help you with removing mold in duct work. However, not all of them are qualified to do the job. Some are just there to swindle money from innocent customers. However, there are some factors to check if you want to hire the best company. These include:

1. The company should have a good reputation in removing mold in duct work. You can prove this by checking their customers’ feedback on their website. If you find that the number of positive reviews is more than the negative ones, you can consider hiring the company but if the vice versa is true, just run away.

2. Look for a company which complies with regulations set by the National Air Duct Cleaners Association. Confirm this by asking for a proof of certification.

3. Cost. In this modern word where the cost of living is high, we cannot avoid this factor. We want to save as much as possible but still get quality services. So, look for an affordable company which does not break the bank. Ask for a written estimate to protect yourself from hidden costs and make sure that you compare at least three companies. 

4. Licensed. Of course, the company should be licensed by the right body. You don’t want to hire illegal companies which are known to extort money from their customers. Once again, ask for a proof or check if the company is listed on the body’s website.

5. Experience. This factor cannot be left out. You don’t want to hire inexperienced people who may even damage your HVAC system. Ask for the years of experience and referrals. 

6. Lastly, check how they handle customers. If they are rude when you ask some questions, please run away and find another company. There are other many companies with friendly staff. 

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] All these including mold and mildew can be found in duct work[/caption]

The Bottom Line

The key to solving duct work mold problems is by performing regular air duct cleaning and eliminating moisture from your house. If you don’t correct the problem early enough, your entire house will be contaminated and you and your family will suffer the potential health effects. Hire the right people to do the job for you and you won’t be disappointed. 

Our Primary Location: Mold Remediation Houston

If you like to take on Remediation alone try my article: Most Effective Mold Remediation Products

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