What You Need To Know About Microbial Contamination In Mini Splits
People are usually talking about food safety when they discuss microbial contamination. But, it’s also a big concern with your home’s heating and cooling system— especially if you have a mini split.
Microbial contamination is an infestation of microorganisms that are harmful to your health. We’re talking about mold, fungi, bacteria, and viruses.
When it comes to food, you’re worried about ingesting them. With a mini split, you’ll breathe them in from the air around you.
That’s because mini splits, or ductless systems, are nearly perfect breeding grounds for these contaminants. The result is a host of indoor air quality issues and issues ranging from a general sick feeling to asthma attacks or even toxic mold syndrome.
Related: Mold Toxicity And The Signs That Mold Is Making You Sick
However, the good news is that cleaning these systems is easier than ever before. And, the right service makes an amazing difference right away.
We’ll talk more about what, exactly, you may find lurking in your air handlers and heat pumps. Then, we’ll go through the signs of a dirty mini split. And, of course, how to get rid of the problem.
If you have a mini split and are concerned about the indoor air quality in your Boise Metro or Valley County home, HydroKleen208 at (208) 779-5596. We’ll set you up with an appointment or just answer the questions you have right now.
Common Microbial Contaminants In Mini Splits
Here are a few quick snapshots of the various microbial contaminants we find in mini splits all the time.
Viruses
We can’t see any viruses inside your air handlers ourselves. But, as we’ve all learned the hard way over the past few years, these tiny particles can live in your heating and cooling system. And, they’ll spread as your heater or AC (or heat pump system) blows air back out.
Bacteria
You know you can’t leave food lying around, or it will soon become infested with bacteria. It happens, in large part, because the surface is warm and moist.
Well, the same applies to the inside of your air handler: There’s moisture and the ideal temperatures for bacteria to thrive. The most high-profile problems you hear about are Pontiac Fever or Legionnaires Disease outbreaks.
Related: Common Indoor Air Toxins And Their Symptoms
Mold
Just as with bacteria, the warm, moist, and dark inner parts of a mini split are an excellent breeding ground for mold. It’ll make you sick and spread the infestation to other parts of the house.
Signs Of A Dirty Mini Split In Your Home
Unless you take apart your air handlers (which we do not recommend), you won’t see most of this buildup. Even when you clean the filters, you won’t get close enough to the coil or see behind the fans.
But we do. And, it gets pretty gross:
If you’re concerned that your mini split looks like this, ask yourself if you’ve noticed these problems:
Rising Electric Bill
Grime and microbial buildup on the coil prevents heat from passing through the system the way it should. You end up with higher electric bills because your system needs more power to do the job.
Hot And Cold Spots
Even as your heat pump system uses more power, it struggles with the demand. You notice hot and cold spots in various rooms because the air handlers can’t circulate enough air to maintain the temperature.
Allergy Flare-Ups
Spring and summer are the worst months for seasonal allergies. But have you noticed flare-ups are worse this season, particularly when you’re home? Or, are you having more seasonal symptoms in the cold weather?
The problem is likely the buildup inside the air handler. Those contaminants will circulate any time of the year.
More Asthma Attacks
Many of the microbial contaminants we mentioned are asthma triggers. The same goes for dirt and pet dander building up inside the air handlers.
Related: Excellent Indoor Air Quality At Home Is Crucial For People With Asthma
Toxic Mold Syndrome
The biggest threat is toxic mold syndrome. When your system has a black mold infestation, it spreads those spores through the air. If you notice toxic mold symptoms and use a mini split, check your system immediately.
Why (And How) Mini Splits Get So Dirty
So why do these systems get so dirty, anyway? There are a few reasons.
Inner Components
There are a lot of parts under the front panel of your air handler. There’s the coil with fins that look like the ridges you see on the outside of a regular outdoor AC condenser. Then the barrel fans, wiring, circuit boards, and more.
That’s a lot of nooks and crannies. And plenty of heat with all that machinery and electronics working all the time.
Then there’s moisture, especially in the summer. Your air handler draws in humid air and removes the moisture. While that water drains out, it still makes the inside of the unit damp.
Cleaning Challenges
For a long time, the only way to truly clean these units was for an HVAC tech to disassemble them and clean each component individually. When you get to the coil, that would mean scrubbing between each of the hundreds of fins.
Related: How Often Should A Mini Split Be Cleaned?
No one offers this because it takes hours and is way too expensive. Even then, they couldn’t guarantee they got everything.
That’s where HydroKleen comes in.
We developed the world’s leading mini split cleaning process. It uses specialized tools that can reach around, between, and behind every part of the air handler. We spray a cleaning agent at precisely the right pressure to do the job without damaging anything.
Related: What To Expect Before, During, And After Your HydroKleen208 Visit
Mini Split Cleaning In Kuna, ID
HydroKleen208 is the only company that provides the world’s leading mini split cleaning system in Kuna, ID, and across the Treasure Valley. We guarantee you’ll notice the difference as soon as we’re done. And, if you’re not satisfied, our cleaning — and the next one from a competitor — are free. Click below or call us at (208) 779-5596