Can you use an air con to reduce mould in your home?

A look at air conditioner dry mode

During Queensland’s annual wet season, with all our days of high humidity, it’s a fact of life that your home may suffer from mould growth. So what can you do about it? Can you use your air con to reduce mould?

While you can get stuck in and manually clean mould, it just makes sense to use your air con to reduce mould, since it dries the entire room, not just the one area being cleaned. Remember that its effectiveness will depend on the humidity on the day. 

Most air conditioners have a “dry mode”, which (as long as you have the correct sized unit, set to a comfortable temperature with the windows closed), will:

• Still cool your home, if a little less effectively 
• Slow the fan, so that air slows when flowing over the coil, and
• Allow more moisture to be drawn from the air via condensation, which goes to the drain. 

All of this means that the simple process of using your air con is going to reduce humidity in your home, as well as cooling it. So, let’s look at how use that to help keep mould under control in your home. 

Can my aircon help with mould in my entire house?

Mould loves dark places, such as your bathroom, cupboards, and the ensuite. Mould growth will depend on the direction the room faces. For example, a bathroom on the south side of your house will have less sun exposure, which means little chance of getting dry after a shower. However, even having your air con running in adjoining rooms can make a difference in your bathroom.

Run your air conditioner at 24 degrees, as this will help to control the moisture in the room. But remember, if you’re running a unit at its lowest temperature with the windows open, this can add to the problem, as you’ll only be letting more humid air in! So always close the windows and doors when you’re running air conditioning.

Could your aircon already have mould?

Before you use your air conditioner to reduce mould in your home, it’s important to make sure your system doesn’t already contain mould – since this can obviously cause further problems. 

To check your system, look to see if there’s any discolouration around the vents, particularly on an indoor split system unit when you turn it on and the directional fins open up. But the most obvious sign of mould in an air con is the musty smell when you turn the system on.

If you notice either of these signs of mould, it is best to arrange a hygiene clean. Our professional air conditioning experts will remove all covers and spray a pressurised cleaner into the evaporator coil to destroy the mould and its spoors, and inhibit any regrowth. 

Should you use an air con or dehumidifier to control mould?

Where a dehumidifier will remove excess humidity without cooling your home, an air conditioner will reduce the humidity and lower the temperature significantly. 

This means it’s best to use a dehumidifier where moisture and humidity is a problem but where you don’t need to cool your home significantly.

Contact Jaric Electrical for expert advice on your home air con

The expert team at Jaric Electrical can offer you the advice you need for your air conditioning. 

To find out more, call Jaric Electrical on 1300 452 742 or contact us online.