Flow through humidifiers expose the warm air from your furnace to a constant trickle of water.
Mold in furnace humidifier.
It can also live on the absorbent pad inside the humidifier.
Annually follow this maintenance procedure to check for scale buildup and eliminate it.
Mold loves a moist environment and a humidifier with a reservoir that has stagnant water meets that requirement.
They re also easier to maintain but they do.
If you do not switch on your humidifier for some time and water remains undisturbed in the tank mold will eventually grow and rapidly reproduce.
Mold as you well know can really do a number on indoor air quality.
The moisture gets distributed throughout the house and condenses on the walls and windows.
How do furnace humidifiers work.
Every time your furnace runs it blows mold spores and their musty smell into your home which can not only lead to health issues for your family but can also lead to mold growth in other areas of your home.
Mold can grow on the absorbent padding inside the humidifier or on the interior walls.
This causes a foul musty smell to come from your heat vents.
At that level mold is unlikely an issue.
Plus you will find just increasing your humidity to like 35 40 with your whole house humidifier makes it very comfortable.
Drain the system of water following the instructions of your particular humidifier model.
Wherever there is excessive moisture content mold growth is bound to take place.
If mold growth goes unchecked the furnace can blow mold spores into your home.
Mold growth is very dangerous because it causes a lot of health problems.
Turn down the humidistat to make sure the system does not enter a heat cycle while you are servicing it.
I replace the hose last summer.
Then mold starts to grow there.
The humidifier adds moisture to the air through the furnace ductwork.
The water naturally.
The moldy ducts scenario is more likely if you have uninsulated ducts or a lot of your ductwork resides in an unconditioned area like your attic.
Mold can grow on the interior walls.
It s cold in your attic so moisture accumulates on the ducts when your humidifier is running.
With humidity that hight and the warm temperatures that natural condition is more likely to produce mold than your 70 degree house in the winter.
Steam humidifers produce either a warm or cool mist and therefore produce the most moisture.
Things needed rubber gloves sponge scrubber or cleaning brush hydrogen peroxide clean cloth chlorine bleach filtered or distilled water.