AC mold
 

We recently had our AC annual service completed and there was mold inside the unit. AC guy recommended adding a UV light to kill current and future mold. Has anyone had mold then added the UV? If so, who did you use and what was the cost?

I would get a second opinion

Did the tech show you the mold (in person, pics from of the inside your unit, etc) or did he just indicate it on paperwork or in passing conversation?

Its not uncommon in older units and while UV lights work to kill mold off quickly & easily and are fairly inexpensive, if it were me, I wouldn't just sign off on the need for one without confirming it was a problem in My specific unit and getting more than one cost estimate, if you do not want the hassle of dropping one in yourself.
Dry mold can go airborne and become reactive with moisture, so it maybe best to not avoid the issue, just confirm it with another inspection/AC company to which you are present for and can confirm for yourself...too many scams around TV to take anyone person or company at there word.
Good luck.

I have the UV installed, not specifically for mold though I assume it helps, but for health in general. I am what some would call at risk, so I do what I can to put the odds in my favor. I can tell you if you ever need change the bulb, do it yourself. Very easy and the bulb cost me 184.00. The AC company quoted 790.00.

I thought the UV lights was to cleanse the air circulating through the house, not the AC unit.

That's what I thought also. :confused:

Definitely get 2nd opinion, this area is FULL of sharks, Land sharks as Jimmy Buffet terms them !

You shouldn't have mold in your HVAC system unless there is another problem. The UV light is a waste of money.

You should read up on UV lights. The contact time isn’t sufficient to clean the air passing through. Also, the bulb will go bad long before it burns out. It will appear to be on but useless in effectiveness. Also the distance from the bulb for any affect isn’t very far. These are a complete waste of money for AC.

Scam

WHY UV LIGHTS IN HVAC SYSTEMS ARE A SCAM - Blue National HVAC
The HVAC UV lights your technician or HVAC servicer mention are more or less a scam.

Why? They’re touted for their ability to destroy mold spores, harmful bacteria, and viruses that work their way into your air supply, so they’re said to improve your indoor air quality and keep you safe from infection, allergy symptoms, and other medical issues associated with breathing them in.

However, the bulbs used in most residential systems are severely underpowered, don’t work quickly enough to kill stuff in the air that’s circulating through your ducts, and they typical aren’t installed in your ductwork, so they aren’t even meant to treat the air.

I would contact an independent air quality company and have an independent inspection done. Then get their assessment of what needs to be done.

My brother in law just had A/C replaced. On sales visit the A/C rep noticed something on ceiling claimed was mold at return vent. After $800 mold remediation company identified it as DUST on popcorn ceiling, testing his home and vents determined home had NO MOLD.

Wow! I would hope a reputable HVAC company and mold remediation company would do a lab test for mold before charging $800.

Waste of time and money.

Its a scam. Often its charge is placed on a new credit card from Capital One.

Scam

[QUOTE=Papa_lecki;2195791]I thought the UV lights was to cleanse the air circulating through the house, not the AC unit.[/QUOT

Lights are designed to clean the air as it goes through the air handler of the AC system.

HVAC company has no $ incentive to do a mold test. It probably would show no mold and a basic mold test is around $300

You can buy a mold test from Amazon for $30 that comes with 5 petri dishes. You just swab the surface and put it in a petri dish. You can send the petri dish to a lab and they will do a professional test for $40.

A circulation fan should continue to run for a time after the cooling setting is satisfied. The goal is to clear all moisture from the air path when a cooling cycle is complete.

UV lamps placed near the evap coils(in the air handler) are gaining popularity. Check you tube. Any nearby wiring must be shielded from the lamp to prevent insulation deterioration.

Mine doesn't operate that way, and I am not aware of any system that has that option. The cooling cycle removes moisture from the air, so I don't understand how that function would provide any benefit. The heating cycle does operate the heating coil for a short time before the fan comes on to heat up the air in the HVAC plenum. It prevents cold air from being distributed into the house.

You live in Florida. There is mold everywhere. It is part of our everyday environment in the air and the soil. The presence of mold does not mean it needs to be eliminated or treated. Doing a home test for mold may well be positive but does not mean you should be buying a UV light to attempt to reduce the exposure.

There are unusual situations where mold needs to be treated, and UV is not the means of treatment.
Mold | Florida Department of Health

Not saying it is a scam, but a very common method for AC companies to pad their wallet. Get a second opinion.

Good, this is the key for homes here:

Use an air conditioner or a dehumidifier to reduce the indoor humidity levels below 60%. If you have a central air conditioning system and need a dehumidifier to reduce relative humidity below 60%, you should have the air conditioning system examined for problems.

I have often wondered about HVAC systems being located in a hot and humid garage. Also, clothes washers in the garage in Florida the same thing. It seems to me they would be a natural breeding ground for mold.
Our system is in the house in a controlled environment which makes more sense I believe. Our band new Trane system is whisper quiet.

I would say it is a scam.

The sounds like a scam. I actually have my ac guy coming in the next hour for my annual cleaning. I’m going to ask him if that’s possible. Just for FYI when I had my air ducts cleaned up north the tech tried to bull**** me saying I had mold in my ducts and recommended something similar. I called my heating company and they came and checked and found no mold.

I offend wonder about this when HVAC systems are in stalled in a garage.

Isn't there heat and humidity sucked in during hot and humid days, or does
most return air come from in the house from the cold air return??

Most HVAC systems do not have an outside air intake. They operate on a 100 percent return air basis. I don't see any problem with the unit being installed in the garage.

The guy from SUNKOOL offered an alternative to the UV light and for the life of me I can’t remember what it was called??? I know it doesn’t need to be replaced often if at all. Whatever it is I hope it improves my memory.

My unit, which is inside my house, sits on a platform that has a giant return air vent in my hallway. Are there no vents like this in garages?

Don't believe it! its a scam my neighbor had the same thing being pulled on her a few week ago

No. There is a return air vent in the hallway ceiling and the air is ducted to the HVAC unit in the garage. But, there are no duct openings in the garage that would allow garage air to enter the unit. That would be a fire code violation.

AC Mold
 

Years ago my ac indoor unit was full of mold. I had the uv light installed and have had no problem since.

UV light
 

It"s another scam concocted by the greedy AC company. The UV light is useless. Believe me, I worked in the AC business for forty years. Save your money and go and treat yourself to a nice dinner instead.

Are they talking about mold within the ducts or on the unit itself?

The last time I had my AC serviced (it was the first time for me with this unIt), I accompanied the tech as he, took the front cover off and opened up the unit. He commented how clean it was, pointing out 2-3 pinpoint spots of mold. He told me he'd seen some that were completely covered with mold.

Anyway, he sprayed some sort of disinfectant on the unit. I've checked it since and I haven't seen any return of the mold...

The UV light is supposed to kill the mold within the unit, but it is not very effective, and it is a waste of money. Some people will claim that a UV light will treat the supply air and purify it as it passes through the unit, but that claim is also bogus.

I was an A/C tech for 40 years in Miami. 80% of the air handlers in Florida have some degree of mold in them.UV lights will KILL IT ALL only in the air handling unit. In a month it will look like a nuclear waste zone. Everything will be DEAD., But a UV light will not kill any of the mold spores in the air. For that you need an electronic air cleaner ( not to be confused with an electro static filter). Electronic air cleaners run about $1,500.00 installed. Great for people with breathing issues.

I've been researching for almost the same issue and am probably going with AdvantaClean. Phone: 407-973-6352.