Standing Water in HVAC drip pan / Mold ???

[delaney]

All summer, when AC was running, we had a strong musty smell in hallway between return air vent and hall bathroom. This area is located directly above HVAC unit in basement of our ranch home.

Removed 1/2 bucket of standing water from HVAC drip pan in basement and replaced clogged tubes. In retrospect, the drain area was wet for some time.

My son and I are still experiencing severe allergy problems so I performed a DIY home mold test kit per instructions (placed in upstairs vent furthest away from unit.) Mold spores DID form in dishes.

Is it likely that mold has formed on the inside of our unit? If so, how costly and reliable is it to have a professional eradicate the mold from the unit? Would it be safer just to have the 12 year old unit replaced? If so, what are the costs for a 1500 sq. ft. ranch in the midwest?

Thanks!

[LazyPup]

You should be able to do this project yourself.
1.Begin by insuring that the condesate drain line is open and flowing freely.

2.Turn the AC unit off, remove the access cover to the coil and spray the coil liberally with a solution of water and household bleach. I usee a one gallon garden type sprayer for this job, but an ordinary household hand sprayer (old windex bottle) will also work fine. Mix the bleach in about a 4 to 1 ratio with water and apply a full gallon of the mixture. The bleach solution will sanitize the coil and drain pan, and the excess will empty out through the drain line. (Be very careful as you are working in a confined area and ventilation could be a problem.)

3.Allow the unit to sit idle for a couple hours to allow the bleach to sanitize the coil and pan.

4. Obtain some pan sanitizing tablets and place two or three tablets in the condensate drain pan.

5.In future, add a couple sanitizing tablets to the pan each month when you change the filter.

Pan sanitizing tablets are slow dissolving chlorine tablets that work basically in the same manner as swimming pool tablets or toilet tank tablets.

contact any local HVAC suppy house and you can purchase the sanitizing tablets quite reasonable. Ask for "Pan Tabs".

Normally the pan tablets are packed in a 1 quart bulk pack for Service techs. A quart container of the tablets would cost approximately $15 and would supply enough tablets for a couple seasons.

There are some pan tabs that are packaged 5 or 6 in a pack, and the pack has holes in the plastic. The idea is to just drop the whole package in the pan and they will slowly dissolve through the holes. I prefer not to use those type, as it is difficult to get the old plastic wrap out of the pan once the tablets have dissolved, and often the empty plastic wrappers will float to the drain port and stop up the drain. If you do buy the smaller 6 pack, i find it best to open the package and drop the tablets in the pan loose.

[imeduc]

Dont keep putting the tablets in the same place. When you put a new one in put it in another part of the pan.

12 years old and run's ok Id keep it . Should be good for about 15 years . Some run a lot longer.

Ah mold !!!!! You can take and look into the U V lights also known as germicidal lights. They go into your duct work and come on with the fan. GO http://www.honeywell.com/yourhome/ They do work
and will kill all of the bad stuff there for you.

ED

My mistakes dont define me they inform me.

[LazyPup]

Imudec,,Thank you for mentioning the UV sanitizer lamps. Although they are not often used in residential application, they are almost a standard item in large commercial ductwork systems in hospitals. or medical facilities.

I would like to point out that when the ultra-violate lights are installed in the ductwork, there should be a safety interlock switch on the service panel cover to insure that the light is off when the cover is opened. Most of the fixtures come prepacked with the safety interlock switch, though some people elect to not use it.

For those not familiar with UV sanitizers, they are basically a small flourescent light fixture that goes inside the ductwork and use a special lamp that emits ultra-violet light. When the AC is running the lamp is on, emitting UV light inside the ductwork that kills bacteria in the same manner as UV light from the sun kills bacteria in nature.

[delaney]

Thanks for all the information.

I was mistaken about the age of furnace. I said 12 years which is actually the age of the AC. The furnace could be as old as the house which is 24 years. I can't locate any date on the unit to verify the age but it doesn't look that old. Anyway, my brother and father, both commerical tinners, told me not to mess with the potential mold problem (they kinda freaked me out telling me about airborne mold, even mentioning legionaires disease.) They can get a unit for around $1200 and install it themselves. I'm having trouble convincing my hubby to part with the almighty dollar since he says the unit is "functioning" fine, funcky smell and all.

Thanks again!

[wendyc.fulk]

Fun Guy Inspections and Consulting

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