How To Identify and Remove Black Mold From Your Cooling System

8/20/2022 (Permalink)

Mold inside an air duct can be difficult to spot

How to Recognize and Get Rid of Black Mold in Your Cooling System

Black mold is an especially nasty form of fungus. Although typically found on ceilings and walls, these notorious spores also grow within air vents. This presents a distinct problem, as temperature control systems are natural spreaders of airborne contaminants. When an infestation takes hold inside your system, get rid of the offending intruder ahead of staff becoming negatively affected.

Identifying Mold Inside Air Ducts
The mold that lurks inside your air conditioning unit in Rock Hill, MO, can be difficult to spot. Find it by:

• Searching for black dust
• Smelling for musty odors
• Removing and visually inspecting suspected vents

If your building’s ventilation does, indeed, have black mold and it has been there for a considerable amount of time, it may have spread beyond your ability to treat it without qualified aid. Contact a commercial mold remediation and restoration professional to handle the matter on your behalf.

Removing Mold From Inside Air Ducts
As soon as you determine that trouble exists, acquire safety equipment. Make use of rubber gloves, safety goggles and respiratory masks before attempting any cleaning.
Examine your insulation. Any that has become compromised must be removed. Disposal should be performed with an industrial vacuum. Many municipalities have strict regulations concerning storage and transportation of old insulation, so identify which rules apply to your area.
Combine one tablespoon of cleaning detergent with a half-tablespoon of baking soda and one cup of water to create your own mold removal solution. Bleach also makes an appropriate cleaner. Turn off the vents and rub your solution all over the interior with a clean cloth. Next, employ a light brush to scrub away any remaining mold. Once your freshly clean ducts have dried, spray them down with an EPA-approved mold growth inhibitor.
Black mold becomes a particularly noxious threat after it breaches HVAC units. If an issue emerges within yours, eliminate it before employees start breathing it in.