What to do about mold in an apartment HVAC system
Finding mold on an HVAC filter leaves residents worried that contamination has spread deeper into the furnace, insulation, and air ducts. Conflicting cleaning advice from handymen and old equipment make it difficult to know whether to clean or replace the unit, particularly when facing serious respiratory health issues.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1running a large dehumidifier in the apartment
- 2stopping running the system to diminish the smell
- 3Getting professional HVAC companies and hygienists to quote system replacement or cleaning
- 4Asking the seller for financial credits or discounts to cover remediation
- 5Walking away from the house purchase entirely
- 6Walking away from the purchase deal
- 7Demanding a full replacement of the AC system and ducts paid for by the seller
- 8Asking for financial credits or price reductions to cover cleaning and repairs
- 9Running air purifiers in rooms throughout the house
- 10Conducting mold abatement and UV cleaning
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Our inspector found this in the HVAC which is located in the garage. Tested for mold, we are waiting for the results but we know it’s mold.”source ↗
“I’m not sure I want to deal with this even if we asked the seller for a credit to clean, fix, possibly replace everything considering the AC unit is already 12 years old.”source ↗
“What would cleaning this look and cost like? Are we needing to replace everything considering? Do you think it’s in the air ducts? What would you negotiate with the seller that would incentivize you to moving forward with the deal.”source ↗
“Our inspector found this in the HVAC. Tested for mold, we are waiting for the results but we know it’s mold.”source ↗
“I’m not sure I want to deal with this even if we asked the seller for a credit to clean, fix, possibly replace everything considering the AC unit is already 12 years old.”source ↗
“Even if the buyers were to credit us 10k. I’m not sure I would want to deal with this. What if insulation has mold? What if all the air ducts need to be replaced?”source ↗
“Because there was mold on the filter, I’m obviously concerned about mold further in the furnace too. I don’t know if I’m comfortable with the idea of mold just being sucked further in as the cleaning strategy.”source ↗
“apartment has been smelling grossly sweet or syrupy over the last week with the last few days being the worst. This was why I called the handyman to begin with.”source ↗
“The reality we’re grappling with is that we’ve landed in the hospital 3 times (with one overnight stay) over the last 3 years with our daughter respiratory issues.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 17How to clean mold on furniture after rain gets inside
- 7Why are my metal floor vents sweating and growing mold?
- 8Is the black stuff in my air conditioner mold or dust?
- 7How to stop mold and high humidity ruining a basement
- 4Can you service an HVAC system with leak seal in it?
- 13How to clean mold on drywall or know when to cut it out