Nobody wants a mold problem in their home! But in areas with high humidity, it’s very easy to end up with a musty smell and sneaky spots of mildew showing up, especially in dark or damp parts of the house. Never fear—we can tell you how to avoid that situation. Mold can cause health problems and damage to your home, but we’ve got a great recommendation for how to nip it in the bud with an air purifier.
Mold and Health
Mold produces proteins which can cause an allergic response in many individuals. People who have other allergies are more likely to also be allergic to mold. And even in the absence of a true allergy, mold can be an irritant to skin, eyes, and respiratory systems, and breathing air contaminated with mold can trigger asthma attacks. Some molds also produce mycotoxins which can cause serious health problems. According to the World Health Organization, those can include acute poisoning, immune system problems, and even increased risk of certain cancers.
Mold and Your Home
Mold can grow on almost any surface, as long as there is some moisture. It can develop in carpets, upholstery, air ducts, and more, in addition to the more-obvious locations in always-damp bathrooms and musty basements. Mold is quick to grow when humidity is highest or in the aftermath of a flood. Professional mold remediation—thorough cleaning that eradicates the mold—can cost as much as $25-30 for every square foot of surface that the mold has infested. People have spent tens of thousands of dollars ridding their homes of serious mold problems. So don’t let it get that bad! How?
UV Air Purifiers
In order for mold to grow, it needs to send spores floating through the air to land on all the surfaces throughout your home. Whenever those spores land in a spot that’s a bit damp, mold can begin to grow and spread. The best way to prevent this is to eliminate those mold spores while they’re still in the air.
Filtration systems will catch some mold spores. But a UV air purifier undertakes a secondary step that makes a huge difference. After the air passes through the filter, it passes through a field of ultraviolet light. The specific frequency of this light is deadly to tiny microorganisms: it disconnects the chemical bonds that keep their proteins together. Like a scrambled egg that will never become a chicken, these destroyed mold spores can no longer grow, reproduce, or cause health problems or household damage. And you don’t need to worry that this frequency of light is a danger to you. UV light is so safe and effective that it is used to sanitize everything from hospital instruments to municipal water systems.
While portable air purifiers are an option that works well in small spaces, such as a dorm room or in-law apartment, whole-house purifiers that connect to the home’s HVAC system are the only way to process enough air to have a big impact on a whole home. For quality installation and air purifier service in Calhoun, LA, look no further than Mike Smith.
Contact Mike Smith Heating & Air Conditioning, LLC. We provide “Professional grade service.”