Mold and mildew are constantly present in nearly all environments, including your home. Spores allow these organisms to spread, and the presence of moisture encourages them to reproduce. Especially in a closed or humid space, mold and mildew can have extremely negative effects on indoor air quality.
Homeowners need to understand how mold and mildew affect indoor air quality. Likewise, they should understand how to prevent the problem. Fortunately, our HVAC company frequently has helped property owners control mold and mildew. Here is what you need to know.
How Mold and Mildew Spread
Mold and mildew are organisms that reproduce and spread by spores. A spore is light enough that a bit of airflow is sufficient to lift it and send it elsewhere. Other disturbances like people and animals traveling through spaces can also spread the spores.
Spores will only begin to activate and start producing new mold and mildew if the conditions are right. Otherwise, they will remain dormant. Notably, mold and mildew may remain dormant for years while waiting for the proper conditions.
More than anything else, mold and mildew are looking for water. They don’t need lots of water to start activating. The amount of water that’s present in the air on a hot and humid day is more than enough to get mold spores reproducing. Also, warmth is always a bonus for mold and mildew. You will see less mold and mildew in most locations during the winter because the typically dry and cool weather is enough to keep the spores dormant.
As the spores activate, they will create patches of mold. The living mold then generates more spores. These spores spread by airflow to other areas, completing the life cycle once they find humid and warm conditions that allow them to activate.
Why Mold and Mildew Affect Indoor Air Quality
There are many species of mold and mildew, and they frequently have slightly different mechanisms that negatively affect indoor air quality. The spores themselves can act as irritants, not unlike plant pollen. Also, the spores can release toxins that are chemically sickening to people and animals, even in small quantities. Some molds generate volatile organic compounds, chemicals that are similar to the ones that come from industrial pollution.
Ingesting or breathing in any of the VOCs, toxins, or spores is often all it takes to trigger irritation or even an allergic reaction. Your body knows these things are bad for it, and it reacts adversely to get them out of your system as soon as possible. In an environment where the mold just keeps reproducing and spreading, though, the bombardment with poor air is relentless.
You might notice a wide range of symptoms from the presence of mold or mildew. Many people develop sinus and nasal congestion. Some also experience coughing. Others will have headaches. More sensitive individuals may suffer from eye or even skin irritation.
HVAC and Prevention Through Dehumidification
Fortunately, there are plenty of HVAC solutions that prevent mold and mildew growth in a home. Given that moisture and humidity are primary drivers of mold and mildew growth, the simplest solution is often to dehumidify the air. In many cases, the dehumidifying capabilities of an air conditioning unit are sufficient to get the humidity level down enough to prevent mold and mildew.
Generally, the target range for relative humidity levels indoors is between 30% and 50%. Around the 60% level of sustained humidity, it is presumed that mold and mildew are growing unchecked. Consequently, our HVAC technicians try to keep the level at or below 50% to provide a little wiggle room.
Note that going too low isn’t a problem when it comes to humidity and mold. However, levels below 30% can be too dry for human comfort. Especially if you have dry skin or respiratory issues, excessively dry air causes a new set of problems.
Sealing Ducts
Most houses aren’t completely overrun by mold. Usually, there are a handful of spots that promote mold growth. Basements are notorious mold generators, and that’s one of the reasons that basements tend to have a distinctively musty smell. Attics can also become factories for producing mold and mildew.
Sealing a home’s ductwork is a good idea because it keeps mold from exiting through gaps. This reduces the generalized spread of mold spores, but there’s still work to do.
Air Filtration
Capturing the mold and mildew spores in the air is another solution. Air filtration is a good option because installing a filter unit is usually quite easy. Also, most homeowners are comfortable replacing the filters themselves. Filters are highly available at most hardware and big box stores, too.
Note that upgrading the HVAC filter to a higher grade may not be a feasible solution. Especially with many older and less efficient HVACs, a high-quality filter may starve the heater of oxygen. This can negatively affect performance, particularly if your house has a furnace for heating.
The upside is that a separate filtration system is likely to still be a feasible alternative. Filtering the air at the intake source is a great option, and it also mitigates other irritants like pollen, dust, and traffic pollutants. Similarly, filters will often fit at later stages in the ductwork, allowing you to bookend the airflow with filtration without starving the heating system.
Duct Cleaning
Simply cleaning the ducts is another quick solution that’s also frequently effective. Spores sit around inactive in the air all the time. Many of these spores settle into a home’s ductwork. Especially during mild weather in the spring and fall, your home’s HVAC system might not be doing much work. This allows mold and mildew spores to float into your house and eventually into its ducts. If you’ve ever noticed a funky smell the first couple of times that the heater cycles during the early fall, there is a good chance that mold spores are lurking in the ducts. Cleaning the ductwork will reduce their numbers significantly and minimize the odds that spores will find a place to grow.
Air Purifiers
A more active approach may be necessary in some settings. Air purifiers are a more aggressive option than filters. Typically, purifiers use multiple filtration methods. They also frequently have active fans to force air into the purification system. An air purifier may have built-in analysis tools that tell you about the quality of the air that’s going in and coming out. Especially if someone in your household has a medical issue, such as COPD or severe asthma, we recommend installing an air purifier.
Our company has proudly served the people of Tigard, OR, and the surrounding areas since 1985. We tackle a wide range of HVAC projects, including work on furnaces, heat pumps, and air conditioners. That includes installation, repair, and maintenance. Rely on us for all your indoor air quality needs as well. We can provide expert solutions like the REME Halo In-Duct Air Purifier. We even welcome commercial projects.
If you’re worried about mold, mildew, or other indoor air quality issues in your building, contact us at Specialty Heating & Cooling LLC today to address the situation.
