Black Mold In Central Air Conditioner

How to prevent mold in the air conditioner.

Black mold in central air conditioner.

How does mold in air conditioner systems make you sick. Mold does have a tendency to grow inside air conditioners that sit unused for a while. You ve probably heard the term black mold but many probably don t fully understand what it is. In the summer a closed house with the air conditioning turned off will have higher humidity levels than an air conditioned home.

At least initially mold blown from a window air conditioning unit affects only the room in which the window unit is installed. It s likely that mold developed in the unit over the winter and you didn t notice it until you turned. Black mold or stachybotrys chartarum is a greenish black mold that grows on materials such as fiberboard gypsum board paper lint and dust when there is moisture from water damage excessive humidity water leaks condensation water infiltration or flooding. Leaving the air conditioning running in your home will not only cool your home it will help remove moisture from the air and help circulate and filter the air.

Condensation forms in the coils and ducts as cool air circulates through the system creating a habitat for moisture loving mold. How to remove mold from air conditioner ducts. Air conditioner vents can be breeding grounds for black mold. With black mold growing in your air ducts you may notice symptoms like itchy eyes and sneezing growing worse when you re indoors particularly when you re running the ac.

Keeping mold out of your air conditioner is the best way to ensure you have clean air circulating in your home and there are several steps to do this. Central air conditioner mold can also be cleaned with a mold removal cleaner unless mold is growing on insulation which should then be replaced. Removing black mold can be a challenge and is very time consuming. Leave on the air conditioning to avoid mold.

The problem with these filters is that they only block out the larger particles. All air conditioner units come fitted with air filters. You can read more about mold in window air conditioners here.