A heat pump is an HVAC device that draws cool air into your home during the summer and warm air in during the winter to increase your heating and cooling efficiency. Unfortunately, its exposed nature on the outside of your home means it is prone to suffering from mold infestation, a problem that can threaten the health and well-being of you and your family.

Dangers Of Mold Exposure

Mold is an insidious danger that can cause a variety of health effects in your family, including nasal stuffiness, irritation in your throat, and various cold and flu-like symptoms. However, those with mold allergies may suffer from more serious health problems, including chronic lung diseases and even infection in their lungs.

When a heat pump gets infected with mold, it will pump mold through the duct work of your home and spread it to other areas. This gives mold a chance to grow throughout your system and become a menace in nearly every room of your house.

How Mold Can Grow In A Heat Pump

Heat pumps come in multiple different types, but each is exposed to the elements as a way of drawing in air. This makes them prone to moisture buildup, especially during the wet seasons in the spring and winter. While each will have a filter to prevent excessive moisture and mold growth, these can get saturated over time.

As a result, it is important to regularly inspect your heating pump and its filters to ensure that no mold is growing inside. This will keep mold from spreading through your HVAC system and keep you and your family safe.

Getting Rid Of Mold In Your Heating Pump

Clean mold out of your heat pump by following these simple steps:

1. Turn off your heat pump and put on an N-95 respirator (purchased from a hardware store or an online shop)
2. Open up your heat pump and inspect the filter or insulation for dampness and mold
3. Remove any damp filters or insulation and seal them up in a plastic bag
4. Suck up water in the pump with a wet vac and use towels to dry the heat pump interior
5. Carefully apply a mold cleaner directly to the molded surfaces and wipe them down
6. Hand-dry every component again before installing new filters and insulation

Cleaning the rest of your duct work in this way is likely necessary, but this job may be outside of your abilities. Call a professional HVAC installer and cleaning expert to have them clean your heat pump duct work and eliminate mold.

As you can see, mold is a danger that must be taken care of in your home as soon as possible. Thankfully, if you follow these mold cleaning procedures, and contact an HVAC professional to assist you with it, you should have no problem keeping mold out of your heat pump for good.