DIY HVAC mold removal
Does that musty mold smell get worse when your air conditioner or furnace turns on? You may have mold in air ducts! Solutions to remove mold in air conditioning ducts boil down to Do It Yourself or a Professional Air Duct Cleaning Company.
Profession Air Duct Cleaning
Hiring a professional for any home repair means two things:
- getting the home repair done right
- spending more to get it done
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Air Duct Cleaning is no different.
A professional air duct cleaner will have mobile robotics that can tunnel from a air duct through the twists and turns of both steel ducting and flexible duct work. Many of these professional tools will also use camera that to visually inspect the interior surfaces of the HVAC system, and of course apply the mold killer necessary for the mold remediation project to be a success.
The down side is always the cost. Professional air duct cleaning is expensive (typically $400 – $1800 ) in part because the tools of the trade are complicated and expensive. Of course part of what you are paying for is certainly the cost of a housecall and the experience of the mold remediator. Like any contractor, always ask for insurance and license information, check angie’s list and the bbb to make sure you hire a reputable firm.
DIY Air Duct Cleaning
As a do-it-yourself project, basic air duct cleaning can be accomplished. The caveat is that you’ll only be able to clean the first 3 feet of each air duct or air return because you won’t have robotic tools to work with.
(we have not seen robotic air vent tools at rental centers). Will cleaning the first few feet of duct work solve the mold problem? Many times yes.
Mold commonly forms inside, and outside of the air vent grills where the temperature change occurs.. As the mold grows, it will cover more and more space, but the likely hood of mold forming deep duct work is less likely.
So a basic cleaning of every Duct, Air return, and filter opening will typically resolve the mold smell. If it doesn’t, then odds are the mold is deep in the system, and a mold removal professional should be called in.
How to Kill Mold in air vents
You’ll need a HVAC Mold Removal Product, and some type of sprayer (ideally an atomizing fogger ). Remove each grill from every air vent, and air return, clean the grill with the mold killer, and spray the mold removal solution as deeply into the duct work as possible. After 10 minutes, wipe out any excess solution. Replace the grills and run the system fan for 3 hours. See Step-by-Step HVAC Mold Removal
Which to Choose
For us the most practical approach is to try to clean the air ducts yourself and if the mold smell comes back, then opt for the air duct cleaning professional. By using this approach, you can minimize your expenses, while still solving your air vent mold problem
