Flow through humidifiers expose the warm air from your furnace to a constant trickle of water.
Mold in furnace humidifier.
Plus you will find just increasing your humidity to like 35 40 with your whole house humidifier makes it very comfortable.
The humidifier adds moisture to the air through the furnace ductwork.
The moisture gets distributed throughout the house and condenses on the walls and windows.
It can also live on the absorbent pad inside the humidifier.
Mold as you well know can really do a number on indoor air quality.
Mold loves a moist environment and a humidifier with a reservoir that has stagnant water meets that requirement.
Mold growth is very dangerous because it causes a lot of health problems.
It s cold in your attic so moisture accumulates on the ducts when your humidifier is running.
Because the interior of a furnace humidifier is a moist environment it is at risk for mold growth.
How do furnace humidifiers work.
Annually follow this maintenance procedure to check for scale buildup and eliminate it.
Drain the system of water following the instructions of your particular humidifier model.
They re also easier to maintain but they do.
And if you are not aware it only takes as little as 24 hours for mold to develop.
Turn down the humidistat to make sure the system does not enter a heat cycle while you are servicing it.
The drain tubes from the humidifier and the ac have mold built up inside.
Steam humidifers produce either a warm or cool mist and therefore produce the most moisture.
I replace the hose last summer.
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 absorbent padding inside the humidifier or on the interior walls.
Wherever there is excessive moisture content mold growth is bound to take place.
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.
The water naturally.
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.
Mold can grow on the interior walls.
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.
This causes a foul musty smell to come from your heat vents.
At that level mold is unlikely an issue.