HAVAC problems of mold???????
 

:MOJE_whot:

We have lived all over the US including the SE, NE and SW for over 30 years.

Problem: We discovered mold and mildew in our HVAC closet in our garage. We called the HVAC company that installed our system in Gilchrist...3 years ago.

We where told that since we did not pour hot water down this water drainage pipe every month that HVAC drain would back up and cause another problem. They said that we cause the problem. They informed us that we should have been trained in this procedure but we were not.

So I used clorox cleanup to clean the area including the hot water heater area. I had purchased a case (12) of air filters which I just discovered most of them now have mold and mildew on them and therefore I had to discard.

Now I was raised in Alabama, lived in Tenn. Connecticut and lived in San Antonio Texas for 25 years with similar weather and humidity like here we and I have NEVER had to pour hot water down a drainage pipe.

The problem seems that the HAVC company placed a pipe that is TOO SMALL.

I am retired and had no idea that we had to pour hot water down a small pipe every month!

Do you think I should have all the HAVC ductwork needs to be cleaned. I believe this will make us sick.

Your point of view? HELP!

The company giving you that information is the one full of mold. Very inventive bunch of contractors around here. What a shame.

I was the owner of an HVAC firm for over 35 years in the mid-Atlantic area. Never did a manufacturer suggest that buyers of their products pour hot water down the condensate drain. The way the air conditioning systems work is that as air passes through the evaporator coil (in the air handler) the humidity condenses (forms water) and that water then slides down the coil and into the condensate drain system. Unfortunately, the coils are not 100% effective and the residual water left behind on the coils becomes problematic. Moisture in combination with darkness creates ideal growing conditions for mold. That's a fact. What to do? Running the blower continuously is one approach (inexpensive). Another is to set the thermostat slightly higher so the system cuts off periodically (inexpensive). Another approach is to have special lights installed within the fan coil (though these can be pricey).

Sorry for your problems. Same thing happened to me, only worse. I was never advised to pour vinegar down the pipe but I did have a company servicing my a/c 4 times a year by contract. Apparently, they were doing it but for some reason, 3 years after living in the house, the pipe backed up and mold developed not only in the water closet in the garage, but leaked into my dining area and living room. Mold was everywhere, I had never heard of this before but I lived in Los Angeles and I figured because it was so dry, we didn't have this problem. Bottom line, 3 walls in my home had to be replaced, including the wood flooring in the living room and dining room. I came down with pneumonia and had to leave my house for 2 months. Luckily, my insurance covered almost all of these expenses but my recommendation to you is to definitely get all the a/c ducts cleaned by a professional mold remediation person because they probably have been contaminated. I also had the same company put a UV light in the HVAC unit so that if any mold every reappeared in the future, the UV light would treat it before it became a problem.

If you want the name and number of the mold remediation people I used, PM me and I'll find it in my files. I'm so sorry for your trouble, it must be something unique with FL a/c units because my husband and I had never heard of this before.

Good Luck!!

Thanks sir...your professional response is greatly appreciated. One question for you! The condensation drain runs to outside underground. The pipe goes underground but comes up approximately 12 inches then over and down again. This creates something like a j-trap in plumbing. The pipe has water in it intentionally to stop animals from entering the HAC...I guess. This creates a trap for mold and mildew to build up and block the pipe. I assume this is why I was told to pour hot water in it monthly.

Would any harm be done if I just cut off the end of the pipe where it does not create a trap for water to stand?

Some additional info, the instructions that came with our house stated to pour water down the drain line (there is a cap for doing this) every 6 months. If the line is backed up you will know it when you do this. I do not understand how the unused filters had mold on them. Do you have your system checked for both air and water leaks? I added a piece of screening at the end of my J trap, so that critters cannot climb into the drain pipe.
I have a small piece of old garden hose that can go from the hot water heater drain to the area of the HVAC drain, and when I drain the water heater (also every 6 months), I do this to the HVAC drain. I usually run the hot water heater drain for 2 minutes, and I check that there is a puddle when the HVAC drain empties outside.
Hope this helps.

I have had small mold issues in rental properties in the northeast. I used a bleach based cleaner as well and the mold spores reappeared rather quickly. A refrigeration repairman suggested that I clean first with Dawn & warm water, ventilate to dry, and then mist with bleach water and let it air dry. It worked very well. Two cleanings and two bleach sanitizers and the mold spores stopped. In the Florida climate, you may have to ventilate with the bleach water as well, I don't know.
It is a low cost, low effort attempt to stop the spores from spreading.

There is also a product called sporiciden (?) that is very effective at controlling and eliminating mold. This information was from a professional so I am not sure if the public can buy it.

We were told to pour a cup of vinegar into the air handler each month.

The Air handler has a pipe for this purpose.

We were told the purpose was to prevent alga from growing and plugging up the pipe.

Glade you posted this thread because I always wondered if this was necessary.

When your A/C is running you can look at the outside pipe and see if water is coming out.

Yes everybody that has a home or a villa here should be putting a minimum of a half a cup of vinegar in the capped off drainage pipe to keep the algae from building up in the drainage line to the outdoors. The other thing is you should have your air conditioner and air handler service twice a year by a certified air conditioning company. Servpro in Ocala does a very good job of mold remediation and they also can treat your coils to make sure there's no mold buildup with it!

There are a lot of scammers around here. I was an HVAC contractor for 38 years. My neighbor told me his HVAC company informed him that his evaporator coil was rusting and needed a treatment that cost nearly $1,000. or he would end up spending more thousands later. NONSENSE! Every evaporator coil that is a few years old has some sign of rust! The end panels are made of galvanized steel and they WILL rust. Don't spend lots of money without having someone else look at it. Mold is a great buzzword for them to get you to spend money too. Be sure that what they are showing you is not in fact dust. Return ducts that lead to a filter will always have dust in them, but remember if the ducts are before the filter, its not a big deal- the purpose of the filter is to catch that dust before it enters the air handler and before it ends up in the supply ducts..

Thanks everyone. We have placed a claim on our homeowners policy with the adjuster coming out tomorrow. We have received a couple of estimates for the insurance company. One quote came from Advanced Restoration Services, INC. They seemed very knowledgeable and recommended that we purchase very small chlorine tablets which are located by the air filters in Home Depot. This mold cleaning is very expensive so it is better to keep the condensation pipe clean.

Once the insurance and cleaning is completed I will post the results and my input.

Neil

Your system should have a float connected to a shutoff switch. If the condensate isn't draining the system will stop running. If you ever call your HVAC vendor because of a non running system, the first thing they will check is whether the shutoff switch is tripped because of non draining condensate.

online
 

This product is available online from ebay and other sources.

Jima64, thank you for the research.

All, I was asked for a copy of my instructions, unfortunately, I cannot locate these. Went through 2 inches of paper from the purchase of the house and the DVD and booklet that we got, and could not find the instructions. Not sure now where I got those, but if I find them again, I will post.