Possible mold in AC system

Hey guys!

first post here! I’ve been searching through the post but haven’t been able to find any information on this. I’ve been noticing mold like smells from my AC system when I first get in my truck. Very long story short, I was exposed to mold in my in my home for years and the mycotoxin exposure has caused chronic inflammatory response syndrome and with that came a whole host of debilitating neurological issues. I’ve since remediated and cleaned my home. But when I get in my car and drive to and from work (30min drive). I get a intensification of my symptoms. Brain fog, light headed mess, word finding issues, depersonalization etc… everything points to my car, and the fact that I can smell a moldy smell points to the AC system.

I’ve done research on removing the condenser and coils, but it seems like a huge job. My question is is there an easy way to view the coils? Perhaps with one of those snake style cameras that I can feed through one of the vents or elsewhere? Anyone else have a similar issue?

 

This is another good option to get the AC system cleaned

https://youtu.be/xb0fDfzV41I

 

You might have dead mice or even live mice and droppings in your hvac system. Is your HVAC fresh air intake screened? Have you checked your cabin filter. One member here nearly died from inhaleing the crap in his HVAC system. Poor dude had developed parasites in his body. Bad stuff!

 

I assume you have checked cabin air filter. Ever tried an activated charcoal cabin filter or an electrostatic charged one? Not a permanent fix but might help until you get the more invasive part done.

In addition to AC, have you checked areas where debris could be piled up holding dampness? Bunch of debris in wiper cowl area would be drawing smells & particles into hvac possibly. Another easy spot where I found a bunch of stuff is to open front doors all the way and poke in behind the rubber flaps at the hinges. Found a bunch of dirt and unknown nastiness in there on mine.

 

yes I saw this but I can’t seem to find the drain tube. I got under the truck and watched where it was dripping but it didn’t appear to be accessible. Any ideas how to actually access the drain?

 

Yes I have a high dollar carbon filter in there as well. But mycotoxins are .1microns and smaller so they won’t be filtered out by this or at least not to the extent needed.

 

The site is UK-based but it talks about disinfecting through ozonation.

 

Is ozone bad for the interior plastics? Seems like I heard something along those lines at some point, but I truly don't know if it's true or not.

 

These particular systems don't seem to harm the interior

 

Maybe your carbon filter isn’t letting enough air through? I know if my mini-split AC filter is clogged, the condensation builds up because there’s not enough airflow. I understand it’s a different system, but makes sense to me if moisture is building up in your vents. Just a suggestion.

 

I just did this yesterday. Remove the blower fan, get a scope and feed it into the inlet towards the evaporator. You can see how clean it is in there.

Mine was pretty clean, but I decided to spray it anyway. A can of AC cleaner spray that came with a long tube. Fed that tube all the way into the evaporator area and blast away. It'll clear out any build up and drain through the AC drain under the truck.

 

Years ago, I read a solution to this that worked for me. Before turning off vehicle, shut down the AC but leave the fan on 'High' for a few minutes to dry the inside of the ductwork. No smells in '04 Pilot with 370,000 miles, '09 Pilot 200,000 miles or my 2010 Tundra with 88,000 miles.

 

Hey guys, thanks for all the tips and I will definitely do a lot of these. Once I can figure out how to get the AC coils cleaned. Does anyone know if easy way to access the coils?

 

Hey, I missed your message. Yes that sounds like exactly what I need to do. Is the blower accessible underneath the passenger side glove box area?

 

Yup, super easy. Remove the kick panel (the clips holding it in are at the front of the kick panel - they're recessed and you just use a screwdriver or trim tool to press the clips one by one). Unplug the blower harness, remove the 3 Torx 25 screws, and it'll drop down revealing the duct to the left towards the evaporator. Snake a camera in there to inspect the evaporator, and you'll be able to snake a hose for the AC cleaner into there as well.