HVAC Mold Cleaning in Pembroke Pines, FL

Every time the air conditioner kicks on there is a wet, sour smell right at startup, and the metal around the air handler in the garage closet has black speckles on it. This site connects you by phone with an independent local provider who does HVAC mold cleaning in Pembroke Pines and Broward County.

Inside the air handler closet: coil, pan, and drain line

The tech opens the air handler. In most Broward homes it sits in a closet off the hallway or in the garage, and the coil inside is wet all summer. They look at the coil, the drain pan under it, the insulation lining the cabinet, and the condensate line that carries water outside. A clogged line and a rusted pan are the two most common reasons water sits and growth starts.

Then they check the ducts. In a slab home the ducts run through a hot attic, and a duct that sweats on the outside or leaks cold air gets damp. A flashlight and a camera at the register tell them whether the growth is on the cabinet, the coil, or the flex duct itself.

Do not spray anything into the return

Do not spray anything into the return grille or the air handler. Do not run a store-bought fogger or a duct spray. Both push chemicals through the system and into every room. If the smell is strong, set the thermostat fan to auto so the blower only runs when it is cooling.

Step outside and look for the condensate line, the small PVC pipe that comes out near the outdoor unit. If nothing drips from it on a hot afternoon, the line may be clogged. Look at the closet floor for a wet spot or a rusted pan. Note the age of the unit. That matters on the call.

Metal gets cleaned, duct liner gets replaced

Metal parts can be cleaned. A coil gets cleaned in place, a drain pan gets flushed or replaced, and the condensate line gets cleared and often gets a float switch so the unit shuts off before it overflows again. The inside of the cabinet is HEPA vacuumed and then wiped down.

Porous parts do not clean well. Fiberglass duct board, the insulation lining an old cabinet, and flex duct with growth on the inner liner are usually replaced rather than scrubbed. Drywall around an air handler that leaked for a while is a separate job. See mold removal for that, and attic mold remediation if the ducts run through growth up there.

Oversized air conditioners and the humidity they leave behind

The air conditioner is the dehumidifier in a Florida home. A unit that is too big cools the house fast and shuts off before it pulls much water out of the air, so the indoor humidity stays high and closets, grout, and the air handler stay damp. A tech who knows Broward will ask about your unit size and run times, not only the mold.

HVAC cleaning sits at the edge of two Florida license types. Cleaning the coil and pan is air conditioning work. Removing mold-contaminated material larger than about 10 square feet is mold remediation under Chapter 468, Part XVI, and a separate assessor may be involved. Ask which license applies, and check it at myfloridalicense.com. In a condo, the air handler is usually yours but the chase and the drain line may be shared, so ask the association. Many Florida policies limit mold coverage to around $10,000 unless an endorsement adds more. Replacing a unit or moving a line calls for a mechanical permit through the City of Pembroke Pines or Broward County.

When you call about the smell at startup

Have the address, the unit's age, and where the air handler sits. Mention whether you notice the smell only when the system starts or constantly, and whether the drain line has backed up before. Call (954) 519-7189.