With spring in the Decatur, AL area comes warmer temperatures, blooming flowers, much lower furnace use, and sometimes mold in your HVAC system.

Mold most commonly gathers in your AC system, because the system collects moisture from your home and allows it to drain. Many types of molds can grow in your system, but a type of mold that you want to be vigilant for is black mold, which can cause various health problems if it circulates through your home. Tackling any type of mold before it can worsen is vital to protecting your home.

Do You Have Mold?

Mold occurs in AC systems because when your air conditioning runs, your unit collects moisture from the air and lowers your humidity. Moisture, when combined with dust, can help mold to grow. Mold can grow on many porous surfaces.

Signs you have mold can include:

  1. A damp or mildew-like smell, especially coming from your air vents
  2. Visible black mold in any part of your home or black dust around your air vents or outdoor AC unit
  3. Health issues such as coughing, headaches, nausea, burning eyes, or sneezing

Check around your air vents and outdoor unit for any signs of mold and make note of any symptoms you feel or visible signs that you find. If you believe you have mold, you can take the following steps to address the issue and breathe easier again.

What to Do If You Suspect Mold

 If you suspect mold anywhere in your system, taking the following steps can help to clear up the issue before it gets any worse.

  1. Avoid setting your thermostat too low. The lower you set your thermostat for your AC, the more moisture your system will pull out of your home. And more moisture means a greater likelihood for mold to grow in your system. Also, turning up your thermostat will help you to save on your energy bill over the summer.
  2. Check for leaky ducts. Leaky ducts can also attract moisture in the wrong places, leading to mold growth that can release spores and toxins into your system. There are methods for checking your ducts for air leaks, and if you find a leak, you can repair the issue and stop mold growth.
  3. Tacke your home’s humidity and ventilation. Even with AC, the Decatur area can get very humid in the summer. To strike a good balance between keeping your home comfortable and not turning your thermostat down too low, you may want to get a dehumidifier so that mold is less likely to gather in your system. Be sure to clean your dehumidifier to prevent mold buildup there as well.
  4. If these steps don’t work, call in a professional to deal with the mold that you do have. You can have your home tested for mold and call professional services to get rid of the issue, especially if you or your family are suffering from health issues. Another possible cause of mold can be an AC system that isn’t properly sized for your home, and to tackle the root of the problem, contact your HVAC professional.

If you’re having any issues with your HVAC system, air conditioning, or air ducts, contact us today to get your system looked at, so that you can be comfortable and healthy as Decatur heads into its hotter months.