HVAC and Duct Mold Remediation in Gonzales, LA
The air conditioner in an Ascension house runs from March into November, and it is the one thing in the house that is cold and wet by design. The coil makes condensation all day, the drain pan holds it, and the flex duct carrying cold air through a hot attic sweats on the outside. When the musty smell shows up the moment the system starts and fades when it stops, or one supply vent always has a dark ring around it, the growth is usually in the system rather than the room. Call and tell us where you smell it.
Where it grows in the system
At the evaporator coil and the drain pan under it, where there is always water. In the plenum and the first few feet of supply duct, which run coldest and sweat most. In insulated flex duct that got wet from a backed-up drain line, a roof leak in the attic, or a summer of condensation, and that has been holding that moisture in its liner ever since. EPA says condensation near cooling coils is a major factor in moisture contamination of duct systems. Built recently doesn’t mean moisture-proof; a new system sweats like an old one.
What EPA says about the system
- Don’t run a system you suspect is contaminated — EPA says it could spread mold throughout the building.
- Insulated duct that got wet or moldy can’t be effectively cleaned; it gets removed and replaced.
- Hard metal duct and the air handler cabinet can be cleaned in place.
- Built recently doesn’t mean moisture-proof — a five-year-old unit makes condensation exactly like a fifteen-year-old one.
Tell Us Where You Smell It, 24/7
How the job goes
The air handler cabinet, coil housing, and any hard metal duct get cleaned and HEPA-vacuumed with the system off and the attic access sealed. Flex duct that has gotten wet comes out in bags and is replaced. If the platform or the ceiling drywall under the unit is stained through, that comes out too, with the room below sealed. We tell you what we found at the coil and the drain so the system doesn’t restart the problem the first week of summer.
What to do right now
If the smell is clearly coming from the vents, turn the system off before you call. Tell us when the unit was last serviced, whether the drain line has ever backed up, and whether the dark ring is at one vent or several. Louisiana’s Department of Health lists mold in the HVAC system as one of the cases where a homeowner should bring in a professional rather than clean it themselves.
