HVAC & Air Duct Mold Removal in Bethpage, TN

Why does my Bethpage house smell musty when the air comes on?

Every cooling cycle wrings water out of the air at the coil. If the pan under it drains slowly, or the line is partly clogged with algae, the pan stays damp and the area around it starts to grow. Ducts that run through a vented crawl space add a second source: on a hot afternoon, humid air under the house condenses on cold metal and soaks the insulation wrap. Once growth takes hold in either spot, the blower carries the odor into every room it serves. The smell is usually strongest when the system first starts and when the weather is muggy.

Can a storm put water into the system?

Yes, if the equipment sits low. Sumner County's Flood Insurance Study says intense local rainfall makes headwater streams rise quickly and leave their banks often, and that major floods have typically come in late winter and early spring. An air handler or duct run in a crawl space near a branch can take on water during those storms. EPA says materials that stay wet longer than 24 to 48 hours should be assumed to have mold, and insulated ductwork that got soaked generally needs replacing. Keep the system off until it has been checked.

What does the remediation actually involve?

A company usually opens the air handler, looks at the coil, pan and blower, and checks the duct runs it can reach. It then isolates the work area, cleans hard surfaces such as metal plenums and the blower housing, and removes duct liner, duct board or flex duct that has growth on it. The drain or humidity problem is fixed before anything is sealed back up. Angi reports national ranges of about $600 to $2,000 for air duct mold cleaning and $3,000 to $10,000 for HVAC system mold work, and local prices vary. Ask for the cleaning, the replacement and the moisture repair to be priced as separate lines.

A note for Bethpage homeowners

Bethpage is unincorporated, so permits for replacing ductwork or equipment go through the Sumner County Building & Codes Department in Gallatin. Jobs of $25,000 or more need a contractor holding a Tennessee contractor's license, and mold remediation is the S-F classification; check any company on TDCI's Verify a License search. For health questions, the Sumner County Health Department has its main office in Gallatin.