Did you know that the condition and even effectiveness of your air conditioning unit can help with mold prevention efforts? Here in South Florida, everyone has an air conditioning unit. But, not everyone experiences mold. While our tropical environment offers thousands of different species of mold to live and thrive, mold prevention efforts help to keep homes safe from their dangers. So, it’s important to understand what homeowners can do to prevent mold in their own homes, starting with their air conditioning units.
How the Air Conditioning can Affect Mold Growth
Mold requires moisture to grow in any environment. Since it doesn’t rain in your home, you may wonder how a mold finds moisture to grow in a home setting. While water damage, leaking pipes, and old appliances may give off the moisture that stimulates mold growth, your air conditioning unit can too. Normally, an air conditioning unit works to reduce moisture levels in a home by controlling humidity. However, air conditioning units that aren’t working effectively may not work by reducing humidity for whatever reason. And, can offer mold the perfect environment to grow freely.
How to Keep Your Air Conditioning Unit from Stimulating Mold Growth
Certainly, you want to make sure that nothing in your home is going to allow for the growth of mold. Fortunately, there are some things you can do as a homeowner to prevent your air conditioning unit from stimulating this dangerous mold growth including:
- Keeping your temperature set to a specific degree that works to control humidity in the air(between 68-74 degrees).
- Make sure the humidity levels in your home are less than 50%.
- Have your air ducts cleaned so that your unit works more effectively and is cleared of all mold that’s already grown.
Choosing an Air Conditioning Unit for Better Mold Protection
If you have recently found out that your air conditioning unit is the result of a mold problem, you may be considering purchasing something new. Or, if it’s just simply time to replace your old air conditioning system, you may wonder which type to choose for the best mold prevention. Some things to look for in a new, efficient air conditioning unit may include:
- Checking that the SEER energy efficiency rating of the unit is above 14.
- Choosing a unit that is big enough to circulate the entire square footage of your home. Or, investing in two separate units to manage the space of your home.
- Checking that the energy consumption level, or BEE rating, is a 1 or a 2.
- Making sure the unit has a good energy efficiency ratio.
Finally, you can always look for reviews on specific air conditioning units on the internet to determine the most efficient selection. Customer experience goes a long way, so you should be able to weed the good from the bad with consumer reviews.
Getting your Air Ducts Cleaned for Mold Prevention
Do you already smell mold but can’t see where it’s coming from? There is a chance that it has already started to grow in your a.c. ducts. And that you can smell the mold because particles are being spread throughout the air in your home from the a.c. system.
Fortunately, professionals like A Plus Mold Remediation Inc. can effectively and safely clean and remove mold. Even from your air conditioning systems. This way, you can keep you and your family safe from the effects of mold before they occur. To get your quote for your air conditioning duct cleaning, contact us today.