HVAC Health
MOULD AND HVAC
By Mike Blow , O3 Chemicals
According to the Centre for Disease Control ( CDC ), moulds can cause nasal stuffiness , throat irritation , coughing or wheezing , eye irritation , and in some cases skin irritation . This is applicable for both commercial and domestic settings .
Mould growing in an air conditioning ( AC ) unit is not necessarily more dangerous than mould growing elsewhere in a building , however , every time you turn on the AC , it ' s spewing mould spores and bacteria into the air , and your lungs . This exposes yourself and any vulnerable room occupants to a raft of potentially serious , even deadly health problems . A mouldy air conditioner is a recipe for chronic illness .
Not all moulds are created equal . Mould is a microscopic organism , a fungus . There are good and bad moulds . For example , camembert or brie cheese relies on mould for its distinctive flavour and texture . And where would we be without the wonder-drug penicillin ? It ’ s derived from a type of mould that scientist Alexander Fleming stumbled across .
Unfortunately , the types of mould you might discover lurking in an AC unit aren ’ t particularly friendly or useful ones . In fact , they ’ re much more likely to cause you harm than good .
Mould spores are the mechanism through which mould reproduces . When an AC unit is at rest , it ’ s the perfect petri dish for a wayward mould spore to grow on . Once comfortably at home in the AC , a mould spore will reproduce . Further spores will be released and become airborne . They will then spread throughout a building , landing on food , clothes , and occupants . From there they may be consumed , or the occupant would breathe them in .
If one has an allergic sensitivity to mould , its presence in an AC is likely to trigger a significant reaction . Likewise , if you have
38
RACA Journal I November 2022 www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za