Mould in Aircon: How to Prevent it and What to Do if You Have it

Phill Crawley

Smarter Air & Electrical

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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.

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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!

brisbane mould removal experts

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!

Jason Gent
These guys were amazing to deal with, I can see why they have all 5 star reviews. Great communication, value, price and service. Every team member ...
Jason Gent
These guys were amazing to deal with, I can see why they have all 5 star reviews. Great communication, value, price and service. Every team member from sales to admin/ scheduling and installers were prompt, courteous and a pleasure to deal with. The whole process from start to finish was flawless, thanks again!
Jason Gent
Jason Gent
Aftaar Atik
A well deserved 5 🌟 rating to Smarter AIR & Electrical for a Samsung Ducted Systems. From initiation to completion everything was a breeze...
Aftaar Atik
A well deserved 5🌟 rating to Smarter AIR & Electrical for a Samsung Ducted Systems. From initiation to completion everything was a breeze. These guys are the best in Brisbane and I highly recommend them for all your air-conditioning requirements. Benji and team showed up on time and did a amazing job,also cleaned up the site.
Aftaar Atik
Aftaar Atik
D Llyd
Clean looking finish. Quick install. Professional from start to finish! Highly recommended if you're considering ducted air-conditioning.
D Llyd
Clean looking finish. Quick install. Professional from start to finish! Highly recommended if you're considering ducted air-conditioning.
D Llyd
D Llyd
Nicole & Brindley Rouse
Huge thanks to Benji and the team at Smarter Air Electrical for an awesome job installing our new aircon! From start to finish, they...
Nicole & Brindley Rouse
Huge thanks to Benji and the team at Smarter Air Electrical for an awesome job installing our new aircon! From start to finish, they were professional, efficient, and really took care in everything they did. Even the apprentices were fantastic—you could see how well they worked together, and the whole team just got stuck in and got the job done. They were careful around the house, cleaned up after themselves, and made the whole process super easy for us. A special thanks to Amanda in the office for always keeping us informed. We are very happy! Thanks for making our days a lot cooler 🙂
Nicole & Brindley Rouse
Nicole & Brindley Rouse
Philip Elisara
Excellent service from Alex and Amanda in the office communication was on point always kept us up to date with what was going on and ...
Philip Elisara
Excellent service from Alex and Amanda in the office communication was on point always kept us up to date with what was going on and talking us through products etc. To the install team Led by Benji and his team the boys were respectful cleaned up and did an excellent job. Also a mention to Jake the electrician as well thanks guys the best experience with any company hands down. We will be recommending the team to anyone after ducted aircon.
Philip Elisara
Philip Elisara
Kayley Parkinson
We couldn't be happier with our new ducted air conditioning system. Alex, Louie and the team at Smarter Air and Electrical were amazing to deal ...
Kayley Parkinson
We couldn't be happier with our new ducted air conditioning system. Alex, Louie and the team at Smarter Air and Electrical were amazing to deal with throughout the entire process. The team were polite, friendly, punctual and their workmanship is excellent. Highly recommend!
Kayley Parkinson
Kayley Parkinson
Sean & Katrina Yacoubian
The installers were excellent. Arrived on time and we did a preliminary walk around to check positioning of everything was correct. Very stress...
Sean & Katrina Yacoubian
The installers were excellent. Arrived on time and we did a preliminary walk around to check positioning of everything was correct. Very stress free install. Price was extremely good. Would highly recommend giving Smarter Air & Electrical a call if you’re thinking about air conditioning.
Sean & Katrina Yacoubian
Sean & Katrina Yacoubian
Jason Trembath
A big thank you to Benji who was very friendly and professional. He provided a great service and ran through questions we had. He fixed ...
Jason Trembath
A big thank you to Benji who was very friendly and professional. He provided a great service and ran through questions we had. He fixed up a few items which was greatly appreciated to ensure we have our system running well. I highly recommend Benji from Smarter Air. Thanks as well go Amanda and Andrea as well for being warm, friendly and professional to deal with when booking everything in, and getting our service and repairs in straight away.
Jason Trembath
Jason Trembath
Greg Chijoff
Not Happy Jan. Despite the company being told in advance of my unique situation - a 3 storey townhouse with limited roof void space, necessitating the ...
Greg Chijoff
Not Happy Jan. Despite the company being told in advance of my unique situation - a 3 storey townhouse with limited roof void space, necessitating the probable use of a scissor-lift and access through the steel roof, Smarter Air accepted the job for ducted air installation and took a deposit. Deposit transferred November 29. First site inspection January 10. Project declined January 13. Not only has this set back other activity such as the installation of roof top Solar panels, but I had declined two other reasonably priced proposals [also Black Friday deals]. Now I have to go back to scratch and restart with new Project quoting from competitors. I have elevated the star rating by '1' as I did eventually get the refund back, after a reminder two days later.
Greg Chijoff
Greg Chijoff
James Herbert
We couldn't be happier with the fantastic service provided by Smarter Electrical! They recently upgraded our air conditioning system, and the entire process was seamless ...
James Herbert
We couldn't be happier with the fantastic service provided by Smarter Electrical! They recently upgraded our air conditioning system, and the entire process was seamless from start to finish. The team was professional, punctual, and incredibly knowledgeable. They took the time to explain all the options available and made sure we chose the right system for our home. The installation was done efficiently and with great attention to detail, leaving everything clean and tidy afterward. Our new air con system works perfectly, and we can already feel the difference in comfort and efficiency. We would highly recommend Smarter Electrical to anyone looking for a great service and expert advice. A big thank you to the team, especially Tom, Hayden and Chris for their excellent work!
James Herbert
James Herbert

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