[AC Unit] "Dirty Sock Syndrome" & UV light to control it

[PollyParakeet]

Hi, all,

Has anyone here had experience with "Dirty Sock Syndrome" in your AC unit? We have an ongoing problem with it. Mold & bacteria build up on the coils, which makes for a terribly nasty odor and also the release of mold spores worsen our allergies, etc.

We are considering installing UV lights inside the unit to control the growth on the coils and drip pan. Is anyone here familiar with this approach, and, if so, have you tried it? Does it help? What wattage of UV bulb did you use? Did you purchase one of the ready-made units by Honeywell, etc. or make your own?

Any and all advice/suggestions would be appreciated. This is a very frustrating problem, and we are hoping that this approach might just be the answer.

Thanks so much!
Blessings to all~
~Polly

 

[A.T.Hagan]

I've never tried the UV approach, but in the past when I had a window AC unit I'd go out about every week and spray the coils thoroughly with a 5:1 water/bleach solution. This kept the fungus/algae/who knows what growth under control.

Have to make sure the drip pan drain remains open as well.

.....Alan.

 

[Mushroom]

If it is a central AC unit, you might think about getting some hepa filters and cut them to fit the grates of your vents to filter out any mold that might grow in the ductwork. It is impossible to completely eliminate the mold but it can be cut way down. We leave the filters in place for about a year before we have to replace them. Your milage may vary.

Mushroom

 

[PollyParakeet]

Thank you both for your replies and suggestions. Yes, this is a 3-ton central unit. Hubby has sprayed the coils 4 times since October with the bleach/water solution, but this problem keeps cropping back up again ~ very frustrating! The first time it happened, we were away on vacation and came home to a surprise ~ the whole house smelled like rotton dirty socks. (ick!) We are still researching and thinking about the UV idea, as it seems to be an up and coming solution in the industry. We will also consider the HEPA solution, Mushroom. Thank you.

Blessings to all,
~Polly

 

[A.T.Hagan]

Ah, OK. This is a central unit.

I presume the compressor is mounted outside somewhere on or just off the ground?

You may want to look at the air flow and the sun exposure of the unit. You want to maximize both so that condensation quickly runs off and evaporates.

It's the constant dampness that allows the fungus to thrive. The more air flow in and around the coils the better the condensation will evaporate thus limiting the fungus growth. On my central unit I've got it in the open and I keep the grass trimmed around the bottom. The morning sun shines on it.

Also, you may want to look at getting the good filters for the air-handler. We use the 3M filtrete that are supposed to remove something like 99% of everything one micron or larger.

One last thing, you may want to investigate your ductwork. If you've got a dampness problem in the ducts themselves then the fungus will be growing in there and not in the a/c coils. That's a more complex problem with a more complex solution.

.....Alan.