Mold & Bacteria Growth in the Duct System
Since your ductwork is essentially the “lungs” of your home, you need to make sure it is kept clean of as many airborne hazards and pollutants as possible. Any kind of harmful pollutant in your ductwork will inevitably get carried throughout the air in your home. This includes mold contamination within the ductwork of your home. Exposure to mold from your within your ductwork can create some very unhealthy conditions for you and your family. If you believe there might be a mold problem in your air ducts, it is very important to have the ductwork checked out and have any contaminants removed.
Why is there mold in my ductwork?
Molds and fungi can be found virtually anywhere where excessive moisture accumulates indoors. This problem can be even worse when there is excessive moisture in the home over an extended period of time. When a surface or material in your home is holding moisture and mold spores from anywhere land on it, the mold begins to grow. As long as the source of moisture is present the mold will continue to grow on the surface, whether it’s in your drywall, wood beams, or even in your duct system. The problem will continue to expand until the source of moisture is eliminated and the mold is properly remediated.
Why is mold in my ductwork dangerous?
Your ductwork is the system in the home which distributes fresh air throughout the home to keep it comfortable year-round. When mold begins to grow and has contaminated the ductwork, vents, or registers, the mold spores begin to quickly be spread throughout the home.
The spreading of the mold spores throughout the air in your home can cause the infiltration of mold to show up in other places where there is moisture present and can cause respiratory allergic reactions in people who are sensitive to mold. The reaction that many people experience from a mold allergy can be similar to seasonal allergies.
Stop the mold contamination in your ductwork!
If you have mold in the duct system in your home it is important to have the air ducts thoroughly cleaned and remediated by a professional duct cleaning company. They will use a HEPA Vac and a HEPA Air Sweeper to properly clean your ductwork of all major contaminants.
After the ductwork is cleaned your duct cleaning company may offer you a duct coating service to prevent future spreading of mold. The ducts can be coated with an anti-microbial coating which protects the spread of mold and odor causing bacteria on the interior surface of your HVAC duct system.
If you are concerned about mold growth in your ductwork, or want to have a duct cleaning or duct coating service in your home call your local professional duct cleaning company and ask them about what options are available to you and your home.
Does my duct work need to be tested for dangerous mold before someone starts ripping it out of the house that’s lived in. There are signs of possible mold present on the outside of the duct work.
Hi James! It’s always a good idea to have someone who is familiar with different types of mold to look into ductwork you have concerns with. You don’t want to rip open ductwork and then have mold spores contaminate the air quality of your home, especially if you have anyone with any type of respiratory sensitivity. If the property in question is a rental, you as the owner are responsible for any problems caused by mold. Please call us if you have any other questions or concerns about what you should be looking for.
We have mold showing up on the ceiling around the a/c vents in several rooms of our office. Is this something that could affect our health? The owner of the building is going to NOT have the ductwork cleaned by a professional, instead he’s going to have his handyman take care of it when he gets back into town.
Hi, I have been looking for someone to clean the ducts. I don’t think we have a mold problem, but think they need some attention.
Could you please give me an approximate cost that I discuss with my husband? I won’t hold you to it…would just like an idea.
House is one floor, little over 1800 sf, 3 bedrooms.
Char, great question. We have all seen the unbelievable offer for duct cleanings as low as $99! This is such an enticing offer that we all know is too good to be true and we may even be lured into calling thinking just maybe this time it will be true. We have received the calls after these offers have been just what we all expect. We then repair damaged ducts, sometimes even systems that are rendered inoperable and then CLEAN the ductwork properly.
As a member of NADCA (National Air Duct Cleaners Association) we understand the value of clean air and have an experienced team with some of the best equipment in the industry.
Now to answer your question about “ballpark” pricing. A duct cleaning and air filtration package to keep the ductwork clean longer could be an investment of thousands of dollars for hospital clean air in a home. A routine cleaning to remove pollen, dust, spores and pet dander could be between 800 and 1200. Many of our customers have the initial cleaning done and maintenance cleanings every 5-7 years.
Your 1800sf home is a project that we could complete in one day with our experienced team.
Please call us at 717-737-8100 and for Diana to schedule a no cost system evaluation.