6 Responses

1. Elmo_Caron

   January 9th, 2010 at 5:44 am

   1

   Looks like mildew and fungus as you expected.

   Get your HVAC system cleaned by professionals and clean everything else in the house (furniture, walls, etc.) because when it’s airborne, it eventually falls and stays on everything. Use bleach and water wherever you can, specialty products on furnitures and carpets. Do this after the ventilation system has been cleaned.

   As for the filters, they block particles from coming in the system, but won’t remove what’s already there.

   Good luck, this could lead to some serious health conditions so I would suggest you seek professional help.

   Edit: Seeing Mark’s answer, this has been on the news lately but unless your house was recently built it shouldn’t be a problem, but why not take a few minutes to check it?

   To add to your "additional details", even if you change the filters, dust will accumulate in the ducts over time, and there are spores in the dust for sure. If there’s enough humidity they will develop and it might create a problem over time. I suggest as others did to get a pro to make an inspection and find the actual problem.

2. MARK

   January 9th, 2010 at 5:44 am

   2

   you might have that drywall that was "Made in China".

3. exracer2002

   January 9th, 2010 at 5:44 am

   3

   Maybe you should have your furnace inspected, there might be a problem with the humidifier, you can also get the most expensive furnace filters which have a HEPA rating.

4. wayne f

   January 9th, 2010 at 5:44 am

   4

   Well the first thing I would suspect based on what you wrote is the furnace. I would have a HVAC company come out and inspect the heat exchanger in the furnace as there may be a problem with it. You may have a bad heat exchanger which could be mixing carbon monoxide into the room air when the unit is running. There are special tools used to detect signs of this. You see carbon monoxide can kill but those levels are going to be on the high side. However low levels may not be able to kill you but they can bring on symptoms of itchy eyes, congestion etc.

   Another thing to think about which you did not mention was if you have a humidifier on the furnace and if so what type. Is there a honey comb panel that is used to disperse humidity or or is it the wheel and sponge type of the past.
   If it is the honey comb type you can count it out, but if you have the wheel and sponge type this could be your problem. You see the wheel and sponge type has a water reservoir that the wheel spins the sponge in and as air move over the exposed sponge evaporation takes place and hence you have humidity in the air within the furnace. So hears where the problem comes in, the system uses a reservoir and if you look in the reservoir you will see crusty mineral deposits around the inside of the reservoir at the level of the water fill line. Well this crust is not minerals but rather growing bacteria and this same bacteria is in the water. So as the water in the sponge is evaporated from the furnace air passing over it bacteria has now become air borne in every room of your house. T=You see there is a automatic fill system for these types so during the summer season the stagnant water sits in the reservoir which is the perfect situation for the bacteria to grow and when winter comes we turn our heat on and the humidifier comes on as well and we fill the rooms of our house with bacteria giving you the symptoms you are having.

   I hope this gives you some direction ….

   Happy Holidays,

   Wayne F

5. John

   January 9th, 2010 at 5:44 am

   5

   If this were my house, I would call a reputable duct cleaning company to clean and seal my ducts, then install the Electro Breeze Duct Mount UV kit from http://www.allergy-relief-air-purifier.com/air-conditioning-filters.html. This air cleaner is 97% efficient down to 0.3 microns and incorporates an ultra-violet light to kill mold and viruses. Once you have this done, your central air handling unit is no longer able to recirculate the allergens that are continually aggravating your family.

   Mold occurs in your ductwork naturally since there is mold all around us. Your ductwork becomes a breeding ground for mold as the ducts become dirty. That is why I would recommend a high efficiency air cleaner like the Electro Breeze Duct Mount UV kit. With that in place, you will no longer have the dust accumulating in your ducts, nor the mold getting past the UV light. This will cure your air handling situation. Good luck!!

6. MTR

   January 9th, 2010 at 5:44 am

   6

   could be quite a number of different things. Could even be your new carpet. Chinese drywall, mold, fungus, paint, insullation, etc.

   Before you spend the money to fix this or that, call an environmental company that does testing. Check the phone book. For less than $1000 usually (a lot less sometimes) they can do some inspection and testing, and tell you exactly what your problem is and then you can decide to rectify it.

   Didn’t you have it inspected before you bought it? If you need referrals to find someone to test, look under Mold in the phone book, or call your realestate agent, they probably know someone who can help you with this.