When you are cooling your home, your HVAC system draws in warmer air and passes it through a chilled coil. As the warmer air cools it is also being dehumidified which causes condensation. As the air cools, water vapor can build up on the piping on the inside of your system. Mold loves places that have two specific features: wet and dark environments. When you combine wet and dark you get a place where mold can grow. VanKleef Heating and Air Conditioning has partnered with York, Lennox, Trane, and more products and they have a solution to the possible problem of mold growth UV light.
Here’s how it works: all living things are composed of DNA, and UV light destroys DNA by going after the nucleic acids. When exposed to UV light, nucleic acid bonds break and this kills the spores. Not only does UV take care of but it will work on bacteria and viruses in the same way by going after the DNA. UV helps you have safer air to breathe, but it also promotes your overall system efficiency. (A thin buildup of pollutants on your system’s indoor coil, just two-thousandths of an inch thick, can reduce airflow by as much as 9 percent, according to York HVAC – Johnson Controls.)
Here are some common health issues associated with airborne impurities like mold spores, viruses, and bacteria:

  • sinusitis
  • upper respiratory issues
  • ear and throat infections
  • nose and throat irritations
  • frequent runny nose and congestion
  • memory lapse
  • headaches
  • lethargy

If you think you may have mold growth inside your HVAC system, we can test it by removing the cover of your cooling coil compartment and visually inspect for the presence of mold. If mold is present you will want to have the coil compartment cleaned and will want to seriously consider having a UV light system installed. Remember that the mold spores, bacteria, and viruses can not be seen with the naked eye, but UV light will kill them all. You can buy test kits that will tell you if mold spores are present in your indoor air. Not all of them are accurate so a visual inspection of your cooling coil would be more advised.
Louisville HVAC Maintenance