AC & Air Duct Mold Removal in Zephyrhills, FL

Why would a mobile home's ducts get moldy?

About 27 percent of housing units in Zephyrhills are mobile homes, a much higher share than in most of the Tampa Bay area. In many manufactured homes the main supply duct runs the length of the home inside the underbelly, wrapped in a vapor barrier behind the skirting. A torn belly wrap, a leaking plumbing line above it, or a cold duct sweating in humid crawl-space air can leave the duct jacket and insulation wet for months. You usually find out from a musty smell in every room, soft floor near a register, or sagging belly material. If the duct insulation is wet or moldy, EPA says it can't be cleaned effectively and should be replaced, and a torn belly should be patched so the space stays drier.

My house is a few decades old. Does age matter?

Somewhat. The median home in Zephyrhills was built around 1990, and about 34 percent predate 1980. Older systems tend to have rusted drain pans, brittle condensate lines and duct joints that leak cool air into hot attics, which is where condensation starts. Age alone doesn't mean mold, but if the air handler is original, it's worth having the pan and coil cabinet looked at closely. Nearly 30 percent of residents are 65 or older, and EPA's guidance that people with lung conditions or weakened immune systems should stay away from moldy areas applies while the work is underway.

Is it safe to keep cooling the house in the meantime?

EPA says not to run an HVAC system you know or suspect is contaminated, since it can push mold through the house. In a Zephyrhills summer that's a real hardship, so plan for portable fans, a window unit in one room, or a short stay elsewhere. Ask the company how quickly it can isolate the air handler so the rest of the system can return to service.

A local note

Replacement ductwork or a new air handler inside city limits goes through the City of Zephyrhills Building Department on 8th Street; the HVAC contractor normally pulls that permit. About 30 percent of homes in the city are rented. Renters whose landlord isn't fixing a leaking roof, window or AC drain can reach City of Zephyrhills Code Enforcement, which handles minimum housing issues, through the city's online service request portal. Florida's mold law keeps the assessor and the remediator separate on the same structure for 12 months, so a post-cleanup check comes from a different company.