Have you recently purchased a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter for your home? And are you now wondering: Can this machine get rid of the mold inside my home?
Well, the answer is both yes and no, but mostly no:
- Yes, a HEPA filter can remove mold spores in the air. It will capture those particles as they pass through this device.
- No, this machine cannot kill or remove any mold that’s actively growing on surfaces within your home.
So what’s the difference between mold spores and active mold growth?
Like most fungi, molds produce spores, which are like airborne seeds. They’re too small to see with the naked eye.
Active mold growth, meanwhile, can be visible on a surface. It feels slimy or fuzzy, and it comes in different colors, including dark green, black, and gray.
Moreover, if you understand how mold spreads, it helps to explain what a HEPA filter can and cannot do.
Quick Takeaways
Whenever you’re thinking about HEPA filters and mold, keep these points in mind:
- HEPA filters remove airborne mold spores.
- At the same time, these devices don’t kill mold. And they don’t remove mold that’s growing on walls, ceilings, HVAC systems, or any other surfaces.
- Mold problems require a moisture control system, not merely air filtration.
- A whole-home HEPA system will give you broader protection than a portable unit.
- If mold persists, you might need a professional inspection.
How Mold Spreads in a Home
As soon as mold releases spores, those particles start traveling along the flow of air. They’ll also traverse a home’s HVAC system.
Eventually, spores land on various surfaces. And they linger there until they come into contact with moisture. At that point, mold growth can begin.
Active mold growth creates an entire fungal colony, one that feeds on organic materials and thrives on dampness.
Thus, by trapping airborne spores, HEPA filters can help prevent new mold growth.
Portable HEPA Purifiers Vs. Whole-Home HEPA Systems
Be aware that HEPA air filters come in two basic varieties. One is a portable purifier. Such a device must run continuously, and it can only treat a single room.
The second type is a whole-home HEPA filtration system. It’s integrated into a home’s existing HVAC equipment, and it can filter all the air inside a house. For that reason, it’s a better choice for long-term indoor air quality (IAQ) control.
Either way, for maximum results, the HEPA filter you choose should suit your home in terms of its size and capacity.
How HEPA Filters Remove Mold Spores
HEPA filters can capture 99.97% of airborne particles, and those contaminants could be as small as 0.3 microns. (A micron equals one one-thousandth of a millimeter.)
For their part, mold spores typically range from 1 to 40 microns.
As air circulates throughout a room, mold spores get trapped in the filter media of a HEPA machine. As a result, the concentration of airborne spores within an interior space will lessen.
What HEPA Filters Cannot Do
HEPA filters — as beneficial as they are — can’t accomplish the following:
- Solve your home’s moisture issues
- Kill mold colonies
- Remove mold from your ducts, drywall, or insulation
- Keep mold from returning if your home’s humidity level stays high
The Real Solution to Mold: Moisture Control
For sure, mold control is a vital aspect of any indoor air quality strategy. And, when it comes to mold control, eliminating unwanted moisture is key. After all, mold simply can’t grow without supplies of moisture.
Unfortunately, many different factors lead to the presence of moisture inside a home.
Here are just some of them:
- Steam from kitchens and bathrooms
- Poor household ventilation
- High humidity
- Overflowing gutters
- Evaporation from overwatered houseplants
- Oversize air conditioners
- Plumbing leaks
Dehumidification and reliable HVAC performance, therefore, are two keys to residential mold control.
When Mold Requires Professional Remediation
Mold can be hazardous to many people’s health, triggering skin rashes, infections, asthma attacks, sore throats, and numerous other ailments.
In addition, over time, mold can weaken certain building materials, leading to costly structural damage.
That’s why it’s so important to remove the mold in your home. And, to do so, professional services may be needed.
In particular, these scenarios usually call for a pro’s help:
- There’s visible mold anywhere in your house.
- Your mold growth recurs even after you rigorously clean the affected surfaces.
- A musty odor just won’t go away.
- One or more members of your household experience unexplained worsening health symptoms.
As so many homeowners have learned, in cases of active mold growth, filtration is supportive, not corrective.
Protect Your Home’s Air Quality in Pensacola, FL
By removing mold spores, HEPA filters are helpful in any battle against fungal growth. Unfortunately, they just can’t eliminate mold on their own.
Instead, full indoor air quality protection requires a number of different approaches, including proper filtration, humidity control, and system evaluation.
For outstanding air quality services in and around Pensacola, you can always turn to Pensacola One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating.
We could provide you with:
- A professional home inspection
- Powerful whole-home HEPA filtration
- Effective solutions for controlling humidity and other moisture
On top of that, our team members are friendly, respectful, efficient, and punctual. In fact, our company motto is: “We’re always on time or you don’t pay a dime.”
Please contact us at any time for a consultation or inspection. Once we’ve set you on the path to a moisture-controlled, mold-free home, you and your family will truly breathe easy.