Microbial growth in your HVAC system can reduce energy efficiency and contaminate the air in your building. This is a particular risk in hot, humid areas like Houston and along the Texas coast, but it can occur in buildings anywhere. Inside the HVAC system it is often cold, dark, and wet—providing the perfect environment for mold and other microbial organisms to grow.
How you clean and maintain your evaporator coils, and even the filter you use can affect the spread of bacteria, viruses, mildew, and mold in your system. Here are some tips to help eliminate or prevent microbial growth in your HVAC.
Keep Your Coils and Whole System Clean
Routine preventive maintenance is essential for maintaining the cleanliness and efficiency of your air handlers. Heat transfer across the coils is critical to energy efficiency. When there is a buildup of biofilm or other grime on the coils, it will reduce the unit’s efficiency and require more energy to heat and cool the building. This type of growth also harms air quality in the building, especially when it occurs downstream from the filters. Any spores or particles released into the airstream below the filters will go directly into the air you breathe.
Regular HVAC coil cleaning (at least once per year) helps prevent both microbial growth and the buildup of other contaminants that can negatively affect your HVAC system. For example, steam cleaning is effective because it uses heat to kill growth on the evaporator coils.
It’s also important to remember the drain pan under the coils. Condensation and runoff collect under the unit and need to be captured and drained out of the system, but if there is any standing water or residue, it needs to be treated. HVAC pan tablets can be applied based on the tonnage of the unit to prevent algae or other organisms from growing in this area. Without proper treatment, the drain pan can become clogged—potentially leading to spillage that can damage your system and cause microbial growth to spread.
