RESOURCES
Why does mold appear in ducts in a tropical climate?
Technical article from the resource center.
Because dust accumulated in the ducts, combined with high relative humidity and constant condensation, becomes a damp substrate where mold can grow.
The three ingredients
- Dust and particles deposited inside the system
- High, sustained relative humidity
- The system’s own condensation, which keeps surfaces damp
Where it usually appears
Most often near the air handling unit, on the coil, in the condensate pan and in the duct sections closest to those points. A drain that does not evacuate properly leaves standing water and makes the problem worse.
What is done about it
The system is inspected with a camera to see its real condition, the duct and also the air handling unit and the drain are cleaned, and the result is verified with a second inspection at the same points. Cleaning only the duct and leaving the pan with standing water contaminates the system again within weeks.
To see how this applies to a specific installation: See the eight phases of the method. Back to resources.