How to Prevent Mold in Your Florida Home

Content courtesy of the Real Mold Guy. For more information: http://realmoldguy.com/

Aaaah, winter in Florida. The temperature is down to 75ºF. It’s much less humid…And the snowbirds have flown south. This week alone customers called from Ohio, New York and New Jersey with the same mold problem: their house watch person found the A/C is running but there’s mold on all the furniture! They say, “It was fine when we left last April. What happened?!? How can I prevent mold in my vacation home?”

There’s a simple way to prevent mold caused by humidity.

All three times the culprit was the incorrect air conditioner fan setting. Such a simple little setting can cause a big problem!  So, here’s the skinny: make sure your A/C fan is set to “Auto.” The “auto” setting allows the thermostat to turn on the A/Cwhen it reaches the set temperature. So, if your thermostat is set to 77ºF, when the inside air temperature reaches 77ºF the a/c will kick on, cool the house and pull moisture out of the air. The moisture is funneled out of the house via the drain line. The Auto setting also uses less energy because the fan only runs during the cooling cycle.

If the fan is set the “on” position, the fan runs constantly. If you answer yes to any of these three triggers, check your fan setting:

1. Does your house smell or feel stuffy? Up north leaving the fan on may work to circulate warm dry air. But in south Florida, it circulates warm moist air, which can spawn mold growth. When the temperature reaches 77ºF, the A/Cwill still turn on to cool the air and reduce the humidity. But, until it does, the fan is blowing humid air all through your house. We’ve also noticed that moving air holds a temperature longer, even though its higher in humidity, so cooling/drying cycle rarely runs. This is when you may notice a “stuffy” smell in the house.
2. Has your electric bill spiked? Constant air movement can clog the air filter faster making the air handler work harder, use more electricity and shorten the life of the unit. If you’re not home for months at a time, you might notice an increase in your FPL bill because the fan is running non-stop. This time of year, when its relatively cool, your electric bill should be lower, not higher.
3. Have you had A/C repair or maintenance lately? HVAC contractors often set the fan to “on” to test electrical components when servicing the unit. Sometimes they forget to return the fan setting to auto. So, double check the fan setting after A/C service work.

the Real mold guy says…

In south Florida, we recommend you set the fan to Auto and leave a ceiling fan or two running on low when your home is vacant. We’ve found this combination provides the best, most energy efficient air flow and humidity control to prevent mold in your Florida home.

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For questions or to schedule your 32-point mold prevention inspection and Summerization^TM call us at 561-693-8955 or email Amy@RealMoldGuy.com

This real estate tip appearing in the January 2020 newsletter.

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Jupiter Dream Life Team | LPT Realty
Team Lead — Heather E Towe, PA
REALTOR®, CRS®, CLHMS®, e-PRO®, PSA®
(561) 778-1642 | hello@jupiterdreamlife.com
Licensed to Sell Real Estate in Florida

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