Preventing & Treating Black Mold in Your Air Ducts

Read time: 3 mins

Most homes have some degree of mold in them, but black mold is an entirely different problem altogether. Black mold is toxic and is in residential homes where drywall, plaster, and other household building materials are present. The reason black mold likes to fester here is that these particular materials have cellulose, which is the cornerstone of the black mold’s diet for growth. 

Black mold can be very dangerous if inhaled and constant exposure can cause many health effects. Mold hurts the overall indoor air quality of your home.

Symptoms of Black Mold Exposure or Black Mold Infestation 

  • Chronic coughing
  • Sneezing
  • Irritation to eyes
  • Skin inflammation
  • Nose & throat mucus
  • Rashes
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Consistent and persistent headaches

You should also be aware that, while these symptoms might seem reasonable to any form of common allergies, long-term exposure to black mold may cause a person to develop an allergic reaction to it.

Allergic reactions to black mold will cause:

  • Internal bleeding from lungs
  • Nose bleeds
  • Vomiting
  • Nausea

It is important always to consider the condition of your household and to ensure the safety of everyone in it with proper mold inspections, consultation, and to implement proper mold remediation when needed.

Your Air Conditioning System Is a Breeding Ground For Black Mold

Unfortunately, your air conditioning system and your air ducts are a common place for black mold to reside. Moisture plays a significant role in the growth of mold. Your air conditioning system can act as an incubator for black mold because of its constant change in humidity levels throughout the summer season. If your air conditioner works as a dual heater as well, then it increases the likelihood of having a mold infestation at some point in time due to constant usage.

If you do have mold in your home and you use your air conditioning system, the effect can be the air conditioner moving the mold spores into your ductwork through the air, with those mold spores getting lodged into your air ducts. Once they make their way to your air ducts they will have a non-visible environment to grow.

Preventative Maintenance Prevents Mold Infestations

You can avoid the mold problem in your home by doing regular annual maintenance on your air ducts. Just changing the filters, or getting your air ducts regularly cleaned every year can save you from many health problems, headaches, and cost in the future.

How To Treat Black Mold In Your Air Ducts

If you suspect that you have a black mold infestation in your home, you need to call a mold remediation professional to inspect your home. The professional will take the steps to test for mold throughout your home. The inspection will verify if your home does have black mold, but if your home does not have black mold, it is also good to do because you can check to see if the mold concentration in your home is too high.

If the professional has verified the presence of black mold in your home, then they will tell you the steps to remove it. For the most thorough cleaning, the professional will have to remove the right components from the air ducts to ensure complete cleaning. The reason is to be sure that the black mold has not touched any other part of your air duct and remove the risk of cross contaminating other parts of your home.

Black mold needs to be cleaned thoroughly by a trained remediation professional because most conventional cleaning agents will not work. Remediation professionals are trained to use the most high-powered cleaning vacuums and motorized brushes to remove black mold from your home.

For example, COIT has the largest and most powerful cleaning equipment on the market we use high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) vacuums and eco-friendly products to remove mold from your air ducts. Also, COIT finishes the job using air scrubbers to ensure and sustain the availability of high air quality.

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