An important part of owning a home is to make sure that it’s a healthy, clean environment for you and your family. One thing that can threaten your health in your home is the growth of mold. This is particularly significant for those who already have allergy or respiratory problems. Mold can only grow in moist environments, such as can be found in and around an air conditioner drip pan, the place where the natural condensation produced by air conditioning collects and hopefully drains. Here are three things that you can do to reduce the chance of mold growth in the drip pan:

Maintaining a clean home

When dust and other particulates, such as mold spores, are allowed to accumulate in your home, they can travel into your duct system and from there back into your A/C components, eventually reaching your air conditioner drip pan. Since this is already a moist environment, it’s a perfect habitat for mold growth.

Your air-conditioning filter

The filter in your air conditioner is designed to trap dust, mold spores and other particulates before they can travel throughout your home. However, if your filter becomes clogged and dirty, it cannot do this job properly, and there’s a greater chance of mold spores eventually reaching the drip pan. During the heavy cooling season, change your filter once a month.

Drip pan inspection

You should have a HVAC professional examine your air conditioner drip pan every year to see if it has standing water. A properly functioning drip pan will drain the water condensate away from the indoor evaporator. If it does not, it means that the drain outlet is blocked in some way. In this case, contact a professional to have it repaired.

If you take the right steps, you can prevent mold growth in your home. One of the best ways to do this is to ensure that your air conditioner drip pan is functioning properly. If you have any questions about this topic, please contact Overland Park Heating & Cooling. We have almost 30 years of experience in the Greater Kansas City area, and our experienced professionals will be happy to help you.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Overland Park, Kansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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