Mold Makes Air Conditioner its New Home in Trenton, NJ

The Mold Solutions team was dispatched to a residence in Trenton, NJ to take care of a mold problem. And it is a good thing that the homeowner called us when he did — before we are visited this summer by warm, humid “time to turn on the air conditioning” weather.

Mold is a type of fungus. It’s a living, breathing, reproducing organism. As long as there is water or moisture, mold will grow. Mold will consume any organic material by releasing dissolving enzymes. It will even grow on non-living surfaces other than wood because it can live and thrive on thin layers of dust. Dust, which inevitably contains organic debris, pretty much covers everything around us, even if we don’t always see it. As a result, mold is able to rear its ugly head almost anywhere and everywhere. And, as seen with this mold job, air conditioning units are not exempt from developing a nasty mold problem. With this home, the mold had attached itself to the central air unit. Even worse, this mold would have continued to release spores into the ductwork. Once the unit was turned on, the AC system would have turned into a mold-dispersing system, spewing out mold spores throughout the entire home. There is no faster way to spread mold throughout a home than blowing out mold spores through a forced-air HVAC system.

Why do HVAC systems often have mold issues? These systems do a great job of removing excess humidity, one of the most common culprits of indoor mold growth. That’s why it’s smart to use your AC on those hot summer days. Not only are you more comfortable, but you also reduce the chance of mold growth in your living areas. However, over time, mold can become an issue because damp air combined with dust and debris that gets past the air filter can create an environment ripe for mold growth. With AC units, mold often starts to grow on the evaporator coils where the condensation pan is located and where there is always some residual water. Standing water along with our humid, hot New Jersey summer air creates a breeding ground of all sorts of mold and fungi. Homeowners should periodically have their HVAC company inspect their system for mold and moisture before turning it on. The HVAC dust and system components should be free of moisture. Drain and condensate pans should be draining properly. When plugged, they can become a mold nursery. Drain hoses can get clogged and filled with mold. While everyone remembers to change their filters, humidifier pads can get moldy and should be changed as well.

First, we treated the affected areas with our EPA registered solution called Mold Abatement Polymer Solutions 1, also called MAPS 1. This product attacks mold on a cellular level and kills it instantly. Next, we scrubbed away the mold and applied MAPS 2, which is our patented sealant that encapsulates the surface mold is growing on and renders mold non-allergenic and harmless. MAPS 2 is also moisture-sensitive and reactivates whenever it gets wet to prevent the return of mold.