Problems With Wall or Window Mounted Air Conditioners!

Blog: 08-15-2018

Problems With Wall or Window Mounted Air Conditioners!
By William E. Fisher, Jr

Over the years I’ve been called into troubleshoot problems with window and/or wall mounted HVAC Systems. There used almost everywhere, and can do quite well as long as they are installed properly with proper maintenance. These types of HVAC Systems are common at Motels, Schools, Portable Classrooms, older high-rise buildings, and yes in your home’s. The bad thing is they are not properly keep up with when it comes to maintenance! And with that proper cleaning and filter cleaning or replacement. At first the homeowner will clean or change the filters but as time goes by they get forgetful and let it go. Then over time the dust build up creates a mold contamination problem.

Some of these filters are made of plastic and easy to clean wile other don’t and those are the worst to maintain. As these units are running to keep the room area cool or warm depending on the season its being used! They get dirty and full of dust, lint, dog or cat hair, human hair, carpet fibers, and human skin that we shed everyday.

So now you have all of this material sticking to the coils and fins because they sweet with condensation (water), and now you have the perfect environment for mold growth, and yes sometimes bacteria. The bacteria can be just as bad if not worst in some cases then the mold. But if you have both mold and bacteria then you have double trouble!

On the installation side of things air gaps that are around the wall mounted or window installed HVAC Systems can cause a problem and speed up the mold growth process. The process is called Negative Air and this will allow the cooling system to pull in hot humid air from the outside in the summer or even in the winter time the condensation will still be present. This will cause mold growth due to additional condensation (water) in and around the HVAC creating an ideal environment for toxic mold growth. So the system will need to be sealed with an approved caulking or some type of rubber gasket to restrict any air movement around the system.

In schools, motels, apartment buildings the temperature should not be set to the lowest sitting. Try to keep it set at around 72 to 75 degrees for comfort. I’ve seen 60 degree settings with no one using the rooms causing excessive sweating from condensation. It would be wise to have the system adjusted to keep people from setting the cooling units thermostat below 72 degrees. You have to remember that inside the cooling unit you have super cooled areas that come into contact with hot air from outside that will make the metal sweat allowing more water to be available for mold growth.

William E. Fisher, Jr President of the South Eastern Mold Institute covers these problems and more during his training classes to help students to cope with these types of mold issues. Mr. Fisher is also the President of AAA Advanced Air and Mold Solutions (www.safehome4u.com) doing Inspections, Remediation, and Consulting. Students that attend the Mold Training Classes all receive a Certificate that covers Mold Inspection, Mold Remediation, and Water Restoration. SEMI has been training students around the World since 2002, and is used by more Governmental Agencies, Universities then any other in America today! So for a quality hands on class or study at home program call Bill Fisher at SEMI today!