AC & Air Duct Mold Removal in Friendswood, TX

Our home flooded in Harvey. Should we worry about the ducts?

It is worth checking if odors linger. Harvey's rains caused 500-year flood events along Clear Creek all through Friendswood, a preliminary estimate put about 3,000 Friendswood homes inundated, and the city issued 1,787 permits for Harvey repairs in 2017. In many of those homes, low returns, floor-level duct boots and closet air handlers sat in water. Equipment and ducts that were dried and reused can hold mold in places nobody sees, especially inside flex duct liners and insulation. EPA's disaster guidance says to assume mold where materials couldn't be dried within 24 to 48 hours.

We didn't flood. What causes mold in the system?

Everyday condensation. Friendswood's long cooling season keeps the evaporator coil wet for months, and a condensate line clogged with algae lets water stand in the pan. Ducts in a hot attic sweat if their insulation is torn or compressed, and supply grilles grow spots when indoor humidity stays high. Units that are too large for the house shut off before they've dried the air. Signs to watch include dark spots ringing ceiling vents, a sour smell in the first minute of cooling and water stains below the attic unit. Keeping indoor humidity below 60 percent and the drain line flowing are the habits EPA recommends.

How does the work go under Texas law?

A mold assessment consultant inspects and writes a protocol before anything is removed, listing the components, containment and clearance criteria. A separate company that holds a TDLR mold remediation license follows it, because Texas prohibits one company from both assessing and remediating the same project. A post-remediation assessment then checks the work, and you get a Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation, which a seller must share with buyers for five years.

A local note

Friendswood was founded as a Quaker colony in 1895 and lies in northwestern Galveston County, partly in Harris County, about 24 miles from Houston. Replacement ducts or equipment go through the city's Community Development Building Permits and Inspections, which issued repair permits after Harvey; ask your HVAC contractor whether a new air handler needs one. Renters can raise substandard conditions with Code Enforcement through its Submit a Concern form. The Galveston County Health District does not handle mold.