Can You Get Mold Out of Vents?

Before Removing Mold

• If you have mold growing in a vent, first open the central unit and check the filters. Dirty filters can spread organic materials through the ventilation system, and this can exacerbate any moisture problems and lead to mold growth. Mold feeds on organic materials, so even moist vents cannot grow mold unless enough dirt or debris exists. Next, examine your cooling coils and condensate pan. If the condensate pan has excessive standing water, or if the coils appear to be leaking, seek professional repairs at once.

Neutralizing the Mold

• If the central unit appears to be in good working order, you might just have mold due to a buildup of dirt or dust inside the vents. Moisture that normally would evaporate can become absorbed by large deposits of dirt, meaning that they can stick around long enough to collect mold. You can neutralize the mold by forcefully evaporating the moisture. Turn on the central heating unit until the vents dry out. This will not remove the mold spores, but it will stop the growth and prevent the mold from releasing potentially toxic fumes into your air.

Removing the Mold

• If you can physically reach the dirt and accumulated mold, scrub out the interior of the vent with water and mild liquid detergent. To draw out dried mold spores from deeper within the vents, insert a thin vacuum cleaner hose into the vent as far as it will go and gradually pull it back toward you. Your ability to successfully remove the mold will depend on whether you can reach the entire colony.

Determining Your Success

• Mold can lie dormant for a long time but return when new moisture arises. If you clean out your vents to the best of your ability but notice that signs of mold re-emerge at a later time, the problem might exist too deeply inside the vents for you to remedy on your own. Signs of recurrence may include the physical presence of mold and also a musty odor emerging through the vents. If mold returns, call a mold remediator or HVAC maintenance expert.