A sick house is a house with a serious air quality problem. An area can be described as "sick" mainly because people who reside inside it for an extended period can develop symptoms of illness such as headaches, watery eyes, nausea, skin disorders, and fatigue. The illness causing factors vary and can include a build-up of air pollutants from household products, building materials, formaldehyde, and/or respirable particles. In humid climates, sick houses are usually houses with a serious moisture problem. Moisture also plays an important role in promoting the growth and spread of mold (mildew). Molds produce spores, tiny encased "seeds," that float in the air. When a home is severely contaminated, thousands of mold spores can be suspended in each cubic foot of air. When people are repeatedly exposed to mold spores, they can develop allergic symptoms. Visible mildew and mold is easy to identify because of its discoloration and odor. Keeping humidity in a home low can help keep visible mildew from returning, but if mold spores get into the air conditioning system, they can settle in the air conditioning ductwork, along with dust and other contaminants, where you can’t see or smell them.

This is a worst case scenario because duct systems in humid climates are incubators for microbial pollutants like mold and bacteria. With the alternating high and low humidity conditions that regularly occur in air conditioning ducts during normal AC use, mold will grow, produce spores, and spread throughout the house. Effective filtering is a huge part of keeping ducts clean. If you have pets, plants, or other unique factors at play in your home, consider upgrading to a newer kind of filter the next time you swap them out. Newer filters can now remove smaller particles, and more of them as compared with the older fiberglass filters. By neglecting to clean or change your filters, the build-up of dust and dirt on air conditioning filters causes air to by-pass the filter and carry organic dirt and spores into the ducts. Leaks around duct joints in attics can also introduce dust and spores. Moisture in air ducts is nearly unavoidable, as the air leaving the evaporator becomes saturated as part of the AC’s normal process.

If you run your air conditioner for the majority of the year, this leaves little time for that saturation and moisture to actually dry up. High moisture can cause any dirt present in the duct to become caked on and provide an environment for mold to grow. The best way to address this issue is to either use the air conditioner less frequently or to clean the ducts regularly to clear out any caked on dirt and moisture. There are many different methods for cleaning ductwork, but because air ducts are such complex, closed systems, it is often difficult to maneuver equipment through them to clean or even locate every specific patch of dirt or buildup. Most methods involve the use of shop vacs and motorized brushes, and while a dedicated professional can remove a fair amount of dirt with these tools, it is time consuming and the worker is often limited by how far though the duct their equipment can snake. More expensive options clean using essentially the same principle, but with larger and more powerful equipment.

Depending on the service you employ for this part of your ductwork, they may even use fiber optic camera feeds to see what the distant interiors of the duct look like and may actually cut in to certain points to remove localized instances of dirt or other harmful build up. Another key factor is that none of these methods address the deeper concerns about mildew, molds, bacteria that can be a problem in humid climates, especially in fiberglass lined ducts.lens cleaning kit microscope In such cases, even a biocide specifically made to kill the mold may not be able to be put to use, since the presence of the biocide in the ducts and air that people breathe would be questionable and potentially harmful.air purifier smoke ratings If you have central heating or cooling, a lot of the air you breathe in has to pass through those vents. air conditioner coil cleaning products

If there is mold in your vents, you will end up breathing in that mold. This can lead to all manner of health problems, so it’s important to kill off that mold! The vents tend to be a bit moist, and the A/C running all summer will cool them down. This is perfect for mold, which loves cool, damp environments. Keeping the vents clean will ensure that there is no mold, guaranteeing fresh air. Here is a simple way to clean out your vents and kill off any mold living there:You’ll need a mask to prevent yourself from inhaling any dust or mold, and use a pair of gloves to keep your hands clean as you scrub off the vents. You should wear long clothing to protect your skin as well. Remove the vent cover. It should come off pretty easily with a screwdriver, or there will be pressure clips holding it in place. Once the cover has come off, place it in a basin filled with hot, soapy water (use laundry detergent). Let it sit for about 15 minutes before you scrub it with a scrub brush or clean rag.

While the vent cover is soaking, use a rag to remove the dust from inside the vent. You will need to make a few passes with the rag to get more than just the surface dust, so make sure to have a bucket handy to rinse the dust from the rag after each pass.Using soap and hot water on the inside of the vents will help to kill off most of the mold, but you should apply a bit of bleach as well to ensure that there is no mold left. Let the bleach sit for about 5 minutes before wiping it off with a rag. (Be very careful, as the bleach will stain your clothes!)Use a dry cloth to wipe all of the water out, and make sure the inside of the vent is as dry as possible. Use a Lysol spray as a final defense against future mold, and replace the vent cover. It’s an easy clean, and it will ensure that the air you breathe is clean and healthy. Within just an hour or so, you can go through all of the vents in your home. Handy Tip: If you have lots of dust and mold, you may want to set up a dehumidifier to help reduce mold – specifically toxic black mold!