|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| Mold
and Bacteria in the Air-Conditioning |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
The second
biggest problem with heating and air conditioning systems is they are
not clean3. In a sense, air-conditioners are like huge
de-humidifiers. Water condenses inside the air-conditioner when it is
running. This is normal and not a problem if the system is maintained.
There is a drain pan to collect the water and a plastic drain pipe.
Slime mold and bacteria can grow in air conditioning drain pans if not
maintained or draining properly. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Sometimes the
drain pipe gets clogged or it was installed sloping up instead of down.
When that happens, standing water collects than supports microbes to
grow. The air conditioning fan can suck water onto the air filters
causing mold to grow on them. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Buddy is a good dog. He lives in
Arizona where it can be 115 degrees in the summer. Like most dogs
outside on a hot summer day he likes to dig himself a hole to lie
in. One day Buddy dug a hole next to the house unknowingly covering
the plastic drain pipe from the air-conditioning unit. His owner
soon became sick and had to live in a tent outside, not knowing what
was causing the problem. Endotoxins from gram-negative bacteria that
was proliferating in the standing water of the air conditioning pan
were being supplied into the air in the home. Fortunately the local
allergy store put her in contact with an environmental consultant.
An investigation led to digging up the drain pipe outside and she
was able to move back indoors.
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
If you have
air-conditioning system make sure the water is draining properly. There
should not be any standing water. If there is a sump pump make sure it’s
working properly. Inspect the air conditioning system in the summer at
the peak of the cooling season when any problems will be most evident.
Clean the pan and the air-conditioning coils once per year. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Problems are
sometimes caused by oversized air-conditioning systems. Some buildings
have such powerful systems that the blowers in them literally suck the
water off the cooling coils before it can fall into the drain pan. This
water is sucked onto air filters and into duct work. Don’t oversize the
air-conditioning system thinking you will be cooler. A property sized
air- system actually provides more comfort than one sized too large. In
a properly sized system, the fan stays on longer in order to achieve the
desired temperature. In a system sized too large, the fan is one for
only a short period of time during which it may get cold indoors but the
system doesn’t run long enough to dehumidify. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Copyright © 2014-2017 Healthy Living Spaces LLC.
All rights reserved.
877-992-9904
Revised:
July 05, 2017.
Information in this document is subject to
change without notice.
Other products and
companies referred to herein are trademarks or
registered trademarks
of their
respective companies or trademark holders. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
