I have an outside AC unit on concrete..with mold around it
by
Lindadh51
+8
Ive noticed lately there is what looks like mold around the bottom of the AC unit and Im not sure what is safe to use to get rid of it. Say if I use diluted clorox or vineger..will the smell go into my apartment or will it dry quickly..but yet get rid of the mold..I feel this is affecting our health.
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Please contact a professional about the mold. You need to locate the source of the issue in order for it to be gone permanently.
You said 'apartment' and Peg right. Call a professional, tell them you are renting and ask them if there is something simple you can do without damaging the unit. If not, take some documentation that will back up your fears when you approach the apartment manager. I had my unit done professionally after moving into a new-to-me house. It was a mess with grass clippings sucked in while mowing was being done in particular. The unit was starving for air and wasn't cooling properly. Are you sure yours is? Once the case was off, it was some pretty strong stuff that was sprayed into my unit but it looked like new as moldy, yucky stuff fell off in piles. There was a mild smell inside that dissipated quickly. Vinegar won't touch it and I'm not too sure about bleach.
I used Clorox and water mixture in a spray bottle.
Use CLR on your concrete with a brush or get some Wet and Forget.
Contact your management about the issue and tell them you need to have them contact the company caring for the unit and not a handyman to find out what needs to be done before health issues arise. If they won't do it, call a company that deals in air conditioners and ask them yourself what you could possibly do to clean it up. If management won't resolve the issue you could always call the cities inspectors and see what the local laws are for this problem. If they come out you can be sure the owners and management won't like having to pay a fine for not dealing with an issue that could cause health problems and paying someone to deal with the issue. The last thing they want is to get a bad name with the city inspectors as they will really get picky the next time they inspect the building.
It was not, but I was careful to spray it away from the unit.
The outside AC unit is separate and isolated from the inside of the home so no odor will go inside. The only parts that go inside are the two refrigerant lines from the unit. It is not connected to the inside furnace/blower or vents.
Use a mixture of bleach and water to spray the mold. Let it sit for a while. Use a garden hose and spray everything down. With low pressure hose down the AC coils.