I have really bad alergies, so a month or so ago I put a bowl of bleach in the AC intake duct in my house to hopefully kill some of the airborn stuff irritating me. It evaporated within a few days and I haven't thought about it since... Until just now when I went to close one of my vents a little and found several colonies growing on the vent that were a QUARTER INCH THICK!!
So I started reading about some solutions to this, and found nothing except discouragement. It would appear that the bleach I used in the vents was just a waste and that bleach is not very effective for this at all. I found a reasonably priced antimicrobial called Microban, for only 25$/gal but I would need an expensive fogger system to use with it I think.
I live in an apartment... would this be something the landlord would take care of? Or is there some other home remedy I could use to solve this issue? I am very short on cash, so I can't exactly call a mold expert in or spend 200$ on mold cleaning... I don't know what to do here.
This isn't just a risk to my mycology hobbies, but to our health as well. Please advise!
Thanks, rxKaffee
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I would get the management on it. Take pictures of the colonies in the vents and give them to the manager. Tell the managment it's making you really sick. If nothing happens, take the pictures to your local health department and ask them what can be done.
Until then, you'll have to double up on sterile procedures and keep all your projects filtered. Never do sterile work with your AC on anyway, mold inside the ducts or not.
You are correct. Bleach doesn't kill molds or most other fungi. That's why some members dunk in bleach water. It kills bacteria and some insects/eggs, but most molds are resistant to it. I found that out when I tried to use a ten percent bleach solution to kill some black mold around the window sills and the caulk around the bathtub. It didn't work. RR
-------------------- Download Let's Grow Mushrooms semper in excretia sumus solim profundum variat "I've never had a failed experiment. I've only discovered 10,000 methods which do not work." Thomas Edison
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If you don't live in a humid local, with very high constant Rh?
And, have 1/4 inch thick mold colonies thriving inside the metal ductwork of your apartment, you also have some kind of moisture accumulation, or water leak problem.
The inside of functional ductwork, should be, and remain DRY.
Given that most neglect to have their ductwork cleaned for decades, along with failure to change filters, poor quality filters, or no filters at all.
Large amounts of dust/lint/crap often accumulate in ductwork, over time. Which, in extreme conditions, can result in fire hazards, and health dangers.
As well as the system continuously spewing pollen - spores - lint - skin cells, and other associated undesirables into the apartment confines, on a daily basis as it cycles.
Generally, unless stated otherwise in the rental agreement, all structural parts of a housing rental building, as well as the associated infrastructure for providing water, electricity, heat, cooling, sewage disposal, or whatever else is built into the structure, IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE LANDLORD, to maintain in a safe, sanitary, functional condition. In other words, in good working order, so none create a danger, or pose a health hazard to the occupants.
There is certainly nothing wrong with taking a few clear pictures of offensive ductwork situation, then in a polite written letter sent via mail, give the landlord notice of this health, possible fire, and water damage situation, requesting he clean/repair/replace whatever is required to put it back into safe functional operating order.
Or, if you prefer to remain mum.
I would suggest you build yourself a tight still air glove box, to work in.
-------------------- Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time... [
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