How To Get Rid Of Mold Spores In The Air

Most homeowners neglect the area of air quality. This is not an area typically thought about. If you begin to notice mold growing in your bathrooms or kitchen, you might have a mold problem. Keep your ac air filter changed regularly. A dirty ac air filter can become a source of mold in your home. How to get rid of mold spores in the air? Install HEPA air purifiers in various rooms of your home. This increases air quality.

Let’s take a look below at what mold spores are and how we can reduce their impacts in our homes.

What Are Mold Spores

Mold spores are not fungi that you would typically see. In fact, they travel as tiny particles throughout the air that we breathe in. Unless a situation of high moisture arises, you would typically not know if any mold spores were near you. Mold spores need very precise conditions to grow and reproduce. Keeping your home free from high moisture and darkness is key. Keep in mind that every home and building in the world has mold spores. You can attempt to reduce the numbers in the air that you are breathing in, however, you cannot get rid of them!

Getting Them Out Of The Air

The goal is to make sure that you are breathing in the cleanest air possible. Unfortunately, it is impossible to get rid of all mold spores in the air so you need to replace the air filter in your ac unit regularly. In addition, use an air purifier that contains a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. These air filters are known to remove up to 99.7% of all mold spores from your air.

Purchasing a small HEPA air purifier will allow you to clean the air in a standard bedroom. If you feel the need to clean a larger area in your home, then you will want a larger HEPA purifier. Most large HEPA air purifiers can clean the air of a room that is 400 sq. ft. The larger the home the more HEPA air purifiers are needed.

Water leak in bathroom can lead to mold spores.

How Do I Prevent Them

There are a variety of ways that you can prevent mold spores from floating around in the air of your home. Dehumidifiers can keep the humidity in your home substantially reduced. It is also a good idea to increase the ventilation of your home where the moisture is high.

  • Repair any water leaks that lead to mold in your bathroom or home.
  • Clean your humidifier and replace the filter to prevent mold growth.
  • Keep a nose open for musty smells.
  • Immediately remove any mold that might appear. Use a scrub brush and liquid detergent to scrub off the mold that appears on your walls.

If you notice mold in an area larger than 10 square feet, you should call on a professional mold remediation company to remove the mold safely.

How Much Does It Cost

Mold removal can usually cost you $1,380 to $3,500. Also, removing mold spores from your air can cost you the price of a HEPA air purifier. Those can range from the smallest unit around $45 to a large unit to clean 1,250 sq. ft. costing you $600. When mold remediation is needed in your home, be prepared to spend a minimum of $475 and upwards of $6,400. Lastly, we can do an air quality test for $345 but cheaper if you also have a home inspection.

Other Recommended Maintenance

Now that you understand more about mold spores, read up on how to stop mold growth in your home. The more you understand mold growth the easier it is to prevent it.

One of the most common molds is black mold. Oftentimes you will see black mold in your attic space. This is caused by a leaking roof or skylight, or even ventilation issues in your attic. If you notice mold on your attic plywood, there are ways to remove it so read up on this process and call on a mold remediation company to assist.

Lastly, finding out if mold is in your home is vital to your family’s health and safety. Having an air quality inspection can occur in addition to your full home inspection.

Mold remediation by a professional.

When Do I Call On A Professional

Taking the precautionary steps to ensure that mold is not prevalent in your home is key. If you or your family begins to experience health issues, you should immediately call on a mold remediation company. Your local mold remediation company can inspect your home to determine how far the mold has spread. If the mold is covering a large area of the home, you may need to move your family out of the home while the mold is removed. Keeping your family safe and healthy is key. Also, consider reaching out to your local home inspection team. They can inspect the home for all mold scenarios as well as recommend a reputable local mold remediation company.

Conclusion

To keep mold spores out of the air in your home, keep your home as dry as possible. High moisture and damp areas are breeding grounds for mold. Also, mold is typically more prevalent in your bathroom or basements. Do your best to ensure that all exhaust fans in your bathroom are working to suck out all moisture from your bathroom. Also, check the basement for water.

If your basement drain is clogged or runoff from your landscaping allows water into your basement, mold can thrive. These conditions are clear invitations to mold spores settling out of the air and onto the basement walls. If you notice mold in any area of your home, call on your local home inspection team to conduct a full home inspection. This allows you to know all of the moldy areas of the home. Call on Home Inspection Geeks can take a look at your mold needs when we come out for a home inspection Cook, Lake, and DuPage Counties, IL

How Does Radon Enter A Home

The last thing homeowners ever think about regarding their home is testing. Most homeowners attribute the word “test” to their educational backgrounds. Homeowners rarely think a home needs to be tested. Believe it or not, your home requires a variety of tests throughout the buying, selling, and owning processes. Keeping up to date on the good and bad of your home is a great way to protect your investment. Testing your home for radon, carbon monoxide, structural stability, and wind sustainability are just a few ways we learn more about our home. How does radon enter a home? Radon travels up through the soil and enters the home via cracks in your foundation and concrete walls.

Let’s take a look below at what’s involved with Radon and Radon testing.

What Is Radon

Radon is a radioactive gas that is a product of decaying uranium. Radon is found in nearly all soils on earth. The gas rises above the soil and makes its way into the air. As it approaches the air, it escapes into your home via cracks and crevices in your foundation and other locations of the home. Once it arrives at the home, it becomes trapped and builds up. Radon from soil gas is the biggest problem. Also, radon gas can come from well water.

Radon gas and where it comes from.
Radon gas and where it comes from.

Where Does Radon Come From

Believe it or not, Radon gas is a naturally occurring phenomenon that we have zero control over. All we can do is understand its existence and hope to cope properly to avoid health issues or death. Let’s take a look below at the areas in which Radon comes from.

  • The existence of radon comes as it is a bi-product of natural decaying uranium and radium. As uranium decays it becomes radium which releases radon gas into the soil, water, and rock formations. So, it is a natural occurrence of radioactive materials naturally breaking down.
  • Much like carbon monoxide, radon is odorless, tasteless, and colorless. It comes to us from rocks and soil. The radon gas dissipates through our soil and out into the atmosphere. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), one out of fifteen homes contains elevated levels of radon in the U.S. This creates an increase in lung cancer susceptibility of nonsmokers.
  • Radon enters all types of homes. It does not matter how new or old the home is. Radon into the home through cracks and crawl spaces can happen daily. If you have met or exceeded 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/l) of gas in the air of your home, you should take action. According to the Surgeon General, Centers for Disease Control, and the EPA, these gas levels are very detrimental to your health and should have your home tested and equipped for gas removal.
  • Radon is also known to enter a home through unsealed sump pump areas and cracks or openings in plumbing and water supplies. Non-visible and visible cracks in your slab foundation and basement are great areas for radon to enter the home.
  • More specifically, radon gas will enter through cracks in the foundation, construction joints, cracks in the basement walls, holes in your sump pump area, plumbing penetrations that aren’t sealed, suspended floors, and drafty homes.
  • Since air pressure in a home is lower than its surrounding areas, as the gas leaves the home via exhaust fans, radon gas is sucked into the home and the home traps the radon. Hot air rises, and so, during the colder months, the hot air escapes and new air moves into the home. The gases are drawn in from the surrounding areas to replace the air that has left the home. Pressure variations are what create this vacuum-type action.
  • As long as the home is a contact with the ground, radon gas can and will enter the home. The level of the home and building materials used are key factors for radon problems arising. Make sure to test every two years and install a radon mitigation system to alleviate any issues.

How To Inspect For Radon

Believe it or not, you have three options for radon testing. You could have short-term testing, long-term testing, or continuous radon testing conducted at your home. Typically, this is not a do-it-yourself recommended project due to the health and safety implications. Hiring a professional service is highly recommended for all tests regarding radon gas.

Short-Term Radon Testing

Many of these tests are activated charcoal-based or electric ions. They are typically conducted if additional information is needed from the home. In addition, they measure radon gas levels over a 2 to 7 day period. Test measurements are then mailed to a lab for review. You can find these in hardware stores and online retailers. Learn more about short-term radon testing in Chicago here.

Long-Term Radon Tests

Just like a short-term test, you can purchase a long-term radon test at your radon agency or online retailer. Long-term tests conduct a 90-day to a one-year inspection and are typically more reliable due to the capturing of the drop in air pressure, gusty winds, snow levels, and the moisture in the soil. All of these factors trap radon gas. So, measuring their presence is important.

Continuous Radon Tests

Lastly, you have what’s called continuous radon tests that are electric and can plug into a standard outlet. They conduct testing every second that they are plugged in and functioning properly. Air is sampled and measured continuously so that the homeowner is alerted right away, of any potential issues.

Radon Mitigation
Radon Mitigation

How Much Does It Cost

Fortunately for the homeowner, radon testing is fairly inexpensive. Of course, ensuring your family’s health and safety should never have a price tag. The national average cost for a radon test is $150 to $350. However, if you get a full home inspection, you could get a radon mitigation test for a lower price. The average cost for a full home inspection is $520 to $650.

Every home inspection team is different, so double-check with your local team to see who offers the combination of tests, so you can save time and money. Keep in mind that if you live in an area with high radon exposure, the installation and equipment costs for installing a radon mitigation system are $750 to $5,000 depending on the size of your home.

Other Recommended Maintenance

Now that you are understanding how radon gas can enter a home. Make sure that you read up on who is responsible for conducting a radon mitigation test. If you are selling or buying a home, a radon mitigation test is highly recommended. But knowing who foots the bill, is key here! You don’t want to go out spending more money if the seller is responsible for having the test completed as part of a home inspection.

Once you know who is responsible for hiring a radon mitigation team, go ahead and begin to move forward. Understanding how often a radon mitigation test should be conducted is also very important. Let’s be clear, that just because you have purchased the home, does not mean the recommended maintenance is completely done. It just means you bought yourself time as the inspections on the home should all be up-to-date.

Finally, while you are on the topic of radon testing, it is a great idea to test other areas of your home. One area related to home safety that we often ignore is our fire alarm system. This is a great time to conduct testing on your smoke detectors and possibly change the batteries to your smoke detectors. Many brands of smoke detectors are also capable of conducting carbon monoxide detection. So, keeping your family safe from another odorless gas that can enter the home is a great idea here.

Radon gas can enter the cracks in your home.
Radon gas can enter the cracks in your home.

When Do I Call A Professional

Knowing how radon can enter a home is your first step to success. Hiring a radon mitigation team to conduct a test of your home is the next step. As a homeowner, you are not going to be the one to conduct this test. It isn’t a do-it-yourself kind of project. It needs to be conducted safely and accurately. This test is recommended to be completed every two years. Contact your local home inspection team. They will be able to conduct your radon mitigation inspection or refer you to the proper professional. Your health and safety are key here, so make sure that the tests are conducted in a timely manner.

Conclusion

Regardless of where you live, conducting a radon mitigation test every two years is highly recommended. Regardless of if you are selling your home or not, keeping tabs on possible exposure that could impact your health is most important. Anytime you are dealing with an odorless and tasteless gas, you should want to get regular tests conducted. Before you purchase a home or even after a renovation has been completed, hire your local home inspection team to get a full home inspection. This can include a radon mitigation inspection.

Once the inspection comes back, you will get peace of mind that all is well. You might also get a recommendation to install a radon mitigation system if it registers high in your area of living. At the very least, you will know what the radon gas levels are in your local area. Call on  Home Inspection Geeks to get a radon mitigation test while we conduct a full home inspection in the Chicago area.

What Is Head Pressure in HVAC

Regular maintenance is needed on our HVAC units if we want them to make it through the winter and summer seasons. When in all of your time as a homeowner have you worried about the phrase “head pressure?” In fact, when have you ever heard the phrase “head pressure?” It is almost guaranteed that most homeowners do not know what the term means. What is head pressure in HVAC? It is generated by your gas compressor that is located in your air conditioning system.

Luckily, there is a pressure instrument that can detect whether or not your head pressure exceeds the normal range and is too high. Head pressure is okay as long as it isn’t outside the normal range. If a high head pressure is detected, you will need to call your local professionally licensed air conditioning service team.

What Determines High Head Pressure

A 410A system who have 400-418 PSIG on the high side, while the lower side is 120-130 PSI. If it is more than this, it is considered high. This will also depend on the weather and other conditions.

Dirty condenser coils can cause HVAC head pressure.

How Does This Happen

It is always a good idea to keep the head pressure lower because it can damage the system. This is especially true when It is combined with low suction. In addition, this shows there is an issue with the refrigerant system in the HVAC.

Most of the time, when an AC unit breaks down, it is from lack of maintenance or a dirty unit. Let’s explore some of the ways your HVAC head pressure can increase in the AC unit.

  • Dirty Condenser Coils – a simple maintenance plan to keep your coils clean and free of debris will save you from high head pressure.
  • Bad Fan Motor – is the most common reason for high head pressure. When your outside fan blades wear down they create a higher pressure. Also, if the condenser fan doesn’t work or has slowed, there could be effects.
  • Refrigerant Issues – a leaking refrigerant unit can cause high head pressure.
  • Non-Condensing Gas – this occurs when homeowners try to do it yourself and connect the lines to the wrong places. If the lines are not connected correctly, then the head pressure will increase and you will immediately need a professional repair team.

Head Pressure and Condensing Temperature Range

The speed of the condenser’s fans is adjusted by changing the speed of the fans. Also, the condensing temperature range can determine it.

For example, the head pressure can increase if the ambient temperature is too high. This can be determined by using a temperature metering device. Also, if the amperage of the motor is too high, the two of these together can cause the system to work overtime. This is common on hot summer days when the temperature and humidity are above 95 degrees.

What Does This Look Like or Sound Like

  1. The evaporator flash gas increases
  2. Suction pressure increases
  3. On the suction side, there is fluttering pressure
  4. High head pressure can also cause noises
  5. Condenser piping can have leakage
  6. The cooling may stop working
  7. An increase in utility bills and energy waste.

How Much Does It Cost

The average repair cost for an AC unit can vary based on materials that are needed to replace and labor charges. You are likely looking at a minimum of $150 for a service call and assessment of your equipment. Your price range is roughly $150 to $600 if you have to replace parts on the AC unit. Depending on the damage to your AC unit, you might be looking at a $450 to $1,000 repair job.

Other Recommended Maintenance

While you are having your HVAC unit serviced for high head pressure, you might want to have them check for a bad blower as well. There are so many working parts to the AC unit, that it is important to maintain them all. Learn about what a bad blower can actually do to your AC unit and why you have hot or cold air blowing.

Now is a great time to also determine how old your HVAC system is. Just like any other piece of equipment in or around your home, it’s a great idea to learn about the longevity of your system. Whether you’re buying a home or maintaining your current system, you should keep tabs on how old the HVAC system is. Proper maintenance will allow you to keep your system longer.

Lastly, keep in mind that your AC unit can leak from high pressures as well. How the AC unit could leak is important to know. Keeping your HVAC system maintained properly can save you time and money. Once a leak occurs, there are a few ways to fix it. Calling on a professional is also an important part.

HVAC repairman can help with head pressure of the unit.

When Do I Call A Professional

It is important to call on a professional at any moment that your HVAC needs assistance. A struggling HVAC unit can cause a major adjustment to your electric bills and leave you in a very hot and sticky situation. If you aren’t sure who to call in your local community, then reach out to your local home inspection team. They can inspect your HVAC system as well as the rest of the home. You might find other areas to repair and not just the AC unit. In addition, they can refer you to a reputable HVAC repair and service company.

Conclusion

Taking care of your HVAC unit on a yearly basis is key to avoiding major problems. No one likes to spend money on inspections, but they could be vital to you spending a lot less on repairs. There are many working components to your HVAC unit. If one piece fails or something happens to the unit, like a freeze-up or clogged drain line, repairs can be costly.

Calling on your local home inspection team can help you with assessing your HVAC unit on a yearly basis, but also offer up some other potential project needs. Getting your HVAC and home inspection done in the Spring is a great idea. You are winding down from the cooler months and gearing up for the hotter months. Reach out to Home Inspection Geeks will take a look at your HVAC unit during a home inspection in the Chicago area.