How to Prevent Mold and Mildew in Your HVAC System
Maintain Your Drain Pans
Make sure your HVAC drain pans are sloped and cleaned regularly, otherwise water will accumulate in the drain pans. In addition, bacteria and microbes thrive in standing water, and mold can grow and back up into your system.
Replace Your Air Filters
Change your air filters regularly, according to the manufacture’s recommendations, as dirty or wet air filters won’t be able to efficiently capture mold spores.In addition, consider getting an air filter with a MERV 8 rating or higher for greater performance in preventing mold spores from entering your home. Moreover, you can easily order your air filters from our online store, and even auto-schedule them to delivered directly to you.
Minimize Mold Growth
systems that are not well maintained could support mold growth. However, it’s important that your system:
- designed and installed correctly.
- Is properly and regularly maintained.
- Controls the moisture in your building.
- Uses good filtration methods to keep your air clean.
Where Does Mold Grow in HVAC Systems?
If you smell a musty, dirty sock odor coming from your air ducts, your HVAC system may have mold in one of these components:
- The drain pan. Air conditioners and high-efficiency furnaces draw moisture from your indoor air. That moisture becomes condensation the collects in a drain pan. A dirty, neglected drain pan combined with all that water can foster mold growth.
- The condensate drain line. Is a pipe that allows water to exit the drain pan and empty outdoors. Moreover, if you don’t get your drain line flushed at least once annually, sludge can build up inside of it and contribute to mold growth.
- The evaporator coil. This part of your indoor air conditioning unit draws out heat and moisture from your indoor air. Without routine maintenance, the coil can become coated in dust. Thus, combined with the condensation the coil collects, can provide mold with the food and moisture it needs to thrive.
- The air ducts. If your air ducts are old, or if they’ve never been sealed, there’s a good chance that moisture is getting in through gaps. If your air ducts are dirty and contain dormant mold spores, that added humidity inside your duct work can create a suitable environment for mold to grow.
