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Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning Blog

Mold and Mildew Growth: A Real Indoor Air Quality Issue for Homeowners

Maintaining good air quality in your home is crucial to protecting your family’s health. Among the common threats to the clean air in your home are mold and mildew. These organisms may be lurking in your home in places unseen, and endangering your family’s health, but you can take a few simple steps to protect yourself from this threat.

Mold and mildew are a natural part of the environment and serve an important role by decomposing organic material. Indoors, they can cause allergic reactions and respiratory issues and should be avoided. Mold and mildew grow most often in places that are damp and warm. There are a number of places in your home that may be providing ideal conditions for them to grow.

In the winter, your attic may be providing a perfect habitat for mold and mildew. As warm air rises into the attic from the inside of your home, it encounters cool air from the outside and condensation occurs. You’ll want to keep  your attic as dry and cool as possible in the winter. Make sure it’s well insulated to keep heat from your furnace or heat pump inside your home’s living space and out of the attic. Make sure the attic floor and hatch or door is sealed properly, to keep air downstairs. It’s also a good idea to keep your roof well-maintained and free of leaks that could bring moisture into the attic.

You bathroom, laundry room and anywhere where plumbing pipes run also can be prime spots for mold and mildew growth. In general, source control in these areas – drying up any wetness, plugging any leaks – is the best strategy.

In warmer months, poorly designed A/C systems can encourage mold growth. A/C units that are too big for can cause excess condensation, creating moisture for mold and mildew to thrive on. Poorly designed ductwork can cause air to leak into unintended places and create prime conditions for mold there as well. A trusted HVAC contractor can evaluate your home’s HVAC system and ductwork and determine if corrections can be made to reduce fungal growth.

For more expert tips on how to optimize your indoor air quality, please contact us at Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning. With 40 years of experience, we have the expertise to provide solutions to your HVAC and air quality needs.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Fresno, California area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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