Testing Your Air Ducts for Mould
The EPA rated indoor air pollution as one of the top five environmental risks to the public. Dust, animal allergens, and mold are all causes for concern when discussing the air quality of your home. Not only can poor indoor air quality affect your respiratory system, it can also be detrimental for your immune system when mold is present. Becoming aware of the many symptoms linked to mould-associated illnesses is just the first step before deciding whether or not you should test your home’s air ducts for mildew and mould. During this article, we will talk about the side effects that many suffering from mould exposure may experience, while outlining how to test your air ducts for mold before having them cleaned by professionals.
The Importance of Air Quality
If you have mould growing in your air ducts, you are effectively being poisoned in your own home whenever your heating or cooling unit is active. Blowing mould spores throughout your home can lead to an exhaustive list of unpleasant symptoms that pose serious long-term side effects. Consider testing your air ducts for mould if you are experiencing any of the following.
Symptoms of Mold Exposure
- Joint pain or morning soreness
- Foggy memory or mental sluggishness
- Weakness or frequent fatigue
- Numbness or tingling in your extremities
- Congestion of sinuses or shortness of breath
- Lightheadedness or dizziness
There are many other symptoms associated with toxic mould exposure, and it is best to visit a doctor to examine your symptoms before you begin checking your air ducts. If your air ducts are the main source for the decrease of your overall health, there are a few easy tests that you can conduct which will shed light on whether or not your air ducts are harboring toxic mould.
Testing for Mold
While you can certainly hire a mould inspector to test your ducts for toxic mould spores, there are a number of ways to test for unsafe mould levels by yourself. If you don’t plan on purchasing a mould testing kit online, you can begin testing your air ducts for mould by removing one of your main duct vents and looking inside of it while using a flashlight. If you see any sort of dirt or debris, it is more likely that mould may be present in your ducts, as dirt and debris can encourage mould growth.
Next, take a white cloth or paper towel and proceed to wipe the inside of your air duct. If your cloth or paper towel appears to be damp or moist, you could be at risk from a toxic mould growth in your air ducts. Mould grows best under damp environments, which is why air ducts with moisture present should always raise red flags.
Lastly, turn your heating or cooling system on and smell the air that is leaving the air duct. If the air smells unpleasant or musty, there is a high probability that your air ducts are harboring mildew or toxic mould. If you happen to see white or black spots inside your air duct upon inspection, your air ducts are most likely contaminated with mould. If this is the case, you should not hesitate to contact a duct-cleaning service that can assist you with eradicating your mould problem.
If you are concerned that your air ducts are dispersing mould spores throughout your home, contact VacDaddy.com today! As the leading furnace and duct cleaning company in Saskatoon and the surrounding areas, we are staffed by qualified maintenance workers who are devoted to ensuring that the air quality of your home is restored back to normal condition. If you are located in Saskatchewan and are in need of a free duct-cleaning estimate or emergency cleaning services, contact us today!