How to address new mold issue since installing heat pump?
Hi All,
Since installing our new heat pump about 8 mo. ago, we're now finding we have a mold issue that we have no idea how to cope with. We've seen signs of mold in three closets (along the baseboards and destroying a few clothing/cloth-covered items, in spite of keeping Damp Rid bags and leaving them constantly open to ventilate. More recently, I've had to toss an old book on an open bookshelf covered in white mold and found a few days ago a fuzz of mold on a basket also kept out in the open. So our mold issue extends beyond badly ventilated areas. I'm trying not to (fully) panic yet, especially with two small kids in the house, but what do we do?
The heat pump settings are such that we can't run the dehumidifier function AND heat (dumb). Is there a better solution than running multiple de-humidifiers in several rooms at all times? Do we need to hire mold cleaners (who quoted one tiny closet measuring about 5x5' several months ago at $1,500+) as part of this? Is anyone affordable? Is there someone we can consult for structural changes that would reduce/eliminate the likelihood of mold throughout our house?
What do we do? Heeeeeeeeelp!!
Parent Replies
It's hard to imagine a heat pump would have a significant impact on mold--especially in our climate--unless its drain were not configured properly or you had a water leak or something. Try opening windows during the day?
A heat pump dehumidifies by (essentially) cooling the air, so that's why it can't both heat and cool at the same time, though I suppose you could do so by turning it to dehumidify and using space heaters, which would be cheaper than dehumidifiers.
Measuring the humidity in various places is important--you can buy hygrometers off Amazon or another site for super cheap ($5 or so).
If the humidity is high, you have to figure out where it's coming from and fix that.
Using an ozone generator (for use only in UNOCCUPIED SPACES) would definitely help with killing mold, but you really have to find/ fix the water source first.
I'm so sorry you are dealing with mold. It is truly insidious and can cause major health issues - so it is no joke. It needs to be dealt with properly or it can cause more issues down the line. When we were dealing with a similar issue, we researched companies and found Anderson Group International out of San Jose. They were recommended to us by multiple Water-Damaged Building experts. Repairs and remediation will be costly: you will need to address the cause of the mold, remove all affected materials, decontaminate, then repair. Please call them to help you. This is truly not something you should tackle on your own and ideally, you don't even want to be living in a home with that degree of infestation.