No one likes to find mould in their home, and it can be a horrifying scenario when it starts growing in your air conditioner. Mould only needs three things to start growing moisture, oxygen & organic matter (a source of food) all of which are found in Brisbane air conditioners. Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to prevent mould growth in your AC unit and some steps to take if you find that you already have a mould problem. This article provides some tips on how to deal with mould in your air conditioner and in your home.

Mould in aircon can cause health problems

Mould is a type of fungi that can grow both indoors and outdoors and is commonly found in damp or humid environments which are the ideal conditions for mould to grow. Even 5 years ago, the effect of mould and other fungi was not that well known but we now know that when mould spores are inhaled, they can cause a range of health problems including allergic reactions, lung disease, mould allergies, respiratory infections and chronic illnesses such as asthma and other health risks. In some cases, mould exposure can even lead to death. Therefore, it is essential that mould in aircon evaporator coils is removed as soon as possible to protect your health.

Symptoms of mould in aircon such as blocked nose, sore throat, coughing, wheezing, watery eyes and skin rashes can all indicate that you have aircon mould, you may even notice a musty smell when your air conditioner is running.

If you have a mould infestation in your air conditioner you may notice some of the symptoms:

• Musty smells, foul mildew smells, stale odours or other unpleasant smells.
• Black dust or mould marks on the ceiling around your air conditioner grilles or vents.
• Throat irritation, sinus coughs, nasal congestion and minor respiratory problems.
• Consistently high humidity levels in the home that your air conditioner is unable to reduce.

How to confirm if you have mould in your air conditioner

You can purchase DIY kits to test for mould in aircon, these kits are relatively cheap and will confirm if you 100% have mould in your home. We recommend the SAN-AIR Mould & Bacteria Test Kit which can be purchased online for around $160 and will also test for bacteria and yeast which are food sources that enable mould to grow.

Mould in aircon can damage property

Mould can cause the coils in an air conditioning unit to rust as the mould keeps the cooling coils moist all the time & never gives them time to dry out. Rusty coils can damage the unit & lead to refrigerant leaks. Mould can also cause paint to peel and wood to rot in your home if left to get out of hand.

Mould in air conditioning units can also lead mould to grow on clothes and other household items as the mould spores are distributed throughout the home by the air conditioner’s indoor fan. Mould can cause the fabric to rot and the colours to fade. If mould is present in an air conditioning unit, it is important to remove it as soon as possible to prevent mould from growing on clothes.

Mould can also grow on food. Mould can cause food to spoil and make it unsafe to eat. If mould is present in food, it’s best to dispose of it as soon as possible to prevent food poisoning.

If mould is present in your air conditioning unit, it should be removed as soon as possible to prevent it from spreading & doing any further damage to your property.

How do I prevent mould from growing in my air conditioner?

You can prevent mould from growing in your air conditioner by booking an annual service for your air conditioner each year. If you notice mould growing in your air conditioner, check out the following quick and simple things you can do!

7 easy steps to keep your air conditioner mould free

• Get your air conditioner serviced: At least once per year to prevent mould growth, the cost of an air conditioner service is quite low especially when your family’s health is at risk.
• Arrange a Deep Indoor Coil Clean: This is a specialized process that should be handled by a professional technician. They will use a pressure washer to meticulously clean the cooling coil, removing mould and other build-up that may have accumulated over time.
• Run your system in fan mode: If you have had your air conditioner running in cooling mode, rather than turn the system off when you leave home just change it to fan-only mode to allow the system to dry out.
• Clean your return air filter: At least every three months (the more frequent the better), if you notice the filter is still dirty or worn out after cleaning book your local air conditioning repairer to come out and install new filter media.
• Clean your grilles or ceiling diffusers: Wipe down your air conditioner grilles with a surface mould remover spray, these can be found online or at your local Bunnings.
• Consider installing a dehumidifier: If you have unusually high humidity in your home look into installing a ducted dehumidifier to keep the relative humidity between 30-60% which will also help prevent mould growth.
• Consider adding an air purification system: For your ducted air conditioners you could install a REME HALO by RGF that use UV light and a photocatalyst material to generate ions that inhibit mould. There are also solutions such as Panasonics Ceiling Mounted nanoe™X Generator that can be installed in the ceiling of each room to help prevent mould from growing!

If it’s time to replace your old air conditioner with a new one you should consider choosing a model that has built-in air purification such as the Panasonic nanoe™ X range of air conditioners

Air conditioning professionals can clean the mould within your ac unit for you!

Smarter Air’s trained technicians come across mould in air conditioners almost every day, we use all-natural products made from 100% Australian essential oils when servicing or deep cleaning your AC that not only remove mould and other nasties but also help make your home smell fresh.

The most single important thing you can do to your air conditioner mould free is to ensure you get your system serviced every year, if the technician detects any signs of mould in the system they will recommend a deep clean which involves opening up the indoor unit and thoroughly washing down the cooling coils with a pressure washer & SAN-AIR surface mould remover.

Please Contact Us today to book your annual service, or chat with us from this page!