Advice on air quality issue with HVAC. looking for air quality tester (Howe: homes)

[noltian]

My throat hurts when AC or heater are on. I would really like to get some advice on this issue

It started when I changed an airfilter which I dropped some baking soda accidently. I thought I could still use it

Then my wife started complaining about irritating nose for a week. Then I started coughing. I changed the filter again but it did not help.

Since then I looked around, found mold in air vents and drip pan of AC coil. I cleaned up with mold killers. However it did not help except some gas smell in attic went away. The source was that AC swears...it has been fixed.

Since then I got airduct cleaned, air tested, fogged with mold killer, disinfect. I even tried ozone to trest airduct..esch treatment last days or a week maximum. Then I cough again my throat hurts. Air test shows nothing unusual with mold.

HVAC is 5 year old. The coil is also cleaned treated. Blower is cleaned as well.

I purchased air tester and nothing unusual s going on except tvoc/hcho is a bit high.

I am not sure who I should hire to fix this issue AC guys want to sell some air cleaners that will be installed on the duct. I spoke to some mold inspector and they do not think I have mold issues...I was going to try another airduct cleaners but they came and left saying there is nothing to clean.I got air purifier running all the time now and that helps a bit but it does not fix the issue

Any advice would be appreciated.

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by noltian

My throat hurts when AC or heater are on. I would really like to get some advice on this issue

It started when I changed an airfilter which I dropped some baking soda accidently. I thought I could still use it

Then my wife started complaining about irritating nose for a week. Then I started coughing. I changed the filter again but it did not help.

Since then I looked around, found mold in air vents and drip pan of AC coil. I cleaned up with mold killers. However it did not help except some gas smell in attic went away. The source was that AC swears...it has been fixed.

Since then I got airduct cleaned, air tested, fogged with mold killer, disinfect. I even tried ozone to trest airduct..esch treatment last days or a week maximum. Then I cough again my throat hurts. Air test shows nothing unusual with mold.

HVAC is 5 year old. The coil is also cleaned treated. Blower is cleaned as well.

I purchased air tester and nothing unusual s going on except tvoc/hcho is a bit high.

I am not sure who I should hire to fix this issue AC guys want to sell some air cleaners that will be installed on the duct. I spoke to some mold inspector and they do not think I have mold issues...I was going to try another airduct cleaners but they came and left saying there is nothing to clean.I got air purifier running all the time now and that helps a bit but it does not fix the issue

Any advice would be appreciated.

It sounds like you have already gone the route of indoor air quality testing. However that is a tricky business to weed through and make sure you have selected the right company. Remember when you go to specialists like that they tend to only look for problems in their areas of expertise.



What I would do at this point is speak with your primary care physician and try to identify your symptoms to cross to possible causes. Obviously it may require specialists visit(s). They may also be able to provide referrals for further home testing of possible causes once they understand what the possible causes are. They might also find something other than in your home causing it.

[noltian]

when you said ”select the right company”, how do you mean?, I don't even find companies doing residential. All I have found is mold inspector...

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by noltian

when you said ”select the right company”, how do you mean?, I don't even find companies doing residential. All I have found is mold inspector...

Your post sounded as if you had already approached an indoor air quality (IAQ) aspect and not just a mold aspect. However if you use the following Google search in the first box of Google advanced listed as "Find pages with all these words" it will least various companies that perform actual indoor air quality testing and not just mold testing.


"indoor air quality" & test & dallas


What I intended to say that may not have been clear was it is difficult to find trustworthy companies performing a full range of IAQ testing that are not also selling solutions to possible problems. I am sure trustworthy companies are out there but the temptation to sell corrections that are more expensive than testing is unfortunately a reality. So you can always be led down the "Buy and try, buy and try, buy and try, etc." path and never find what actually is causing the issue and spend a lot of money doing it.


Again if it was me I would speak to my Primary Care Physician to see if they, or a specialist referral, can potentially identify what is causing your issues. Again it might not be something specifically wrong with your home and instead linked to something around your home or even some other cause not related to either. Going this route not only can help identify the issue but also the cure or correction.


This is just an off the cuff example and not necessarily the cause but again an example how it may not be your home at all. Almost all newer homes, and some older homes that have been retrofitted, have a fresh air intake into the HVAC system. This is a vent on the exterior wall that is set to draw fresh air in for what is suppose to be a healthier indoor climate. What if something outside the home keeps getting drawn into that vent and circulated around the home causing your issue? Whatever is drawn in might just coincidentally be intermittent in the pattern you seem to experience the issue but is never around when you pay for that expensive IAQ testing.


Basically that is why I am suggesting you speak with your Doctor first to try identifying what you are experiencing and what the potential causes are. At that point if IAQ testing is still needed you might be able to reduce testing to a more reasonable cost as well as limiting repair attempts to a more reasonable cost.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by noltian

My throat hurts when AC or heater are on. I would really like to get some advice on this issue

It started when I changed an airfilter which I dropped some baking soda accidently. I thought I could still use it

Then my wife started complaining about irritating nose for a week. Then I started coughing. I changed the filter again but it did not help.

Since then I looked around, found mold in air vents and drip pan of AC coil. I cleaned up with mold killers. However it did not help except some gas smell in attic went away. The source was that AC swears...it has been fixed.

Since then I got airduct cleaned, air tested, fogged with mold killer, disinfect. I even tried ozone to trest airduct..esch treatment last days or a week maximum. Then I cough again my throat hurts. Air test shows nothing unusual with mold.

HVAC is 5 year old. The coil is also cleaned treated. Blower is cleaned as well.

I purchased air tester and nothing unusual s going on except tvoc/hcho is a bit high.

I am not sure who I should hire to fix this issue AC guys want to sell some air cleaners that will be installed on the duct. I spoke to some mold inspector and they do not think I have mold issues...I was going to try another airduct cleaners but they came and left saying there is nothing to clean.I got air purifier running all the time now and that helps a bit but it does not fix the issue

Any advice would be appreciated.

Are you sure the condensate drain line has been proven to be clear or cleared with warm water and bleach or vinegar or some other cleaner?

When outside air is very humid - as was the case around DFW for a couple of weeks - it's common for drain lines to jam up with moss like algae/mold and other junk. Once these lines clog AC condensate/water, hopefully, will collect in drain pans. But wet drain pans lead to a cascade of problems.

You want:
1. Free flowing drain line(s) likely emptying into a sink drain......of course said sink drains must free flow as well.
2. Dry drain pan(s).