Air conditioner smell

[Anthony121]

Has anyone seen mold in their Air Conditioner? I wouldn't be spraying anything into the HVAC unit unless you could be certain it had mold growing inside.

 

[Skylarking]

Has anyone seen mold in their Air Conditioner? I wouldn't be spraying anything into the HVAC unit unless you could be certain it had mold growing inside.

Years ago, back in the days when the VH commodore was new, the windscreen plenum didn't have a decent mesh screen on it so leaves could make their way into the hvac system where the fan would shred them and they would clog the drain vent. With the aircon in use, water could start to pool up within the system. Usually the fix was a wire would be pushed up the drain tube and wiggled which would be enough for the muck to flow out, then a new screen mesh would be installed in the plenum at the base of the windscreen to fix the problem. In some cases, mould would take hold within the system and the wire wiggle would do nothing so the complete system needed to be pulled out and manually cleaned, which if memory serves correct was a dash out affair. Sad part was Holden never took full responsibility or ownership of the problem as it was handled on a case by case basis.

Some people had this problem (of Holdens making due to the poor design) fixed via "a guesture of goodwill" while others had to pay for the cleanup and fix. Some paid huge dollars for the dash out fix... Luckily in my case, my VH was not badly impacted and Holden did their goodwill thing as it was just a bit of a wiggle and poke before flushing some fluid and finally they emptied a spray can of some aircon evaporator cleaner through the system before finally adding a screen filter and it smelt nice afterwards so couldn't complain.

However, back in the day there was a small stink about this and the problem even made it into The Age (way off the front page) but it was before google so haven't been able to find a reference....

So yes, mold can take hold as it simply depends on moisture, heat and mold spores which float in the wind. Having a blocked HVAC drain tube with some aircon use results in water in the system, then parking the car outside for a few days during a warm summer is all it takes for a mold outbrake to occur and you may not like the smell of the car when you next hop in.

Luckily usb/android phone styled endoscopes can be sent down the vents to have a look if there is any mold issue within current sysyems. Such endoscopes are cheap and range from $10 to $20 on ebay - they also have lots of other uses

Anyone tried a mould killer spray like Exit Mould. I have used in the house and it did the job. Cleared up the mould on ceiling, has a mould retardant ingredient. 2 years later, still good.

They might make something for Aircon systems.

Exit Mould uses Sodium Hypochlorite and the bottle states "test in an inconspicuous area before use" (which may just be mumbo jumbo for their legal protection). But i'd want some assurances that whatever chemical is used, it will not kill the plastics down the track. As such, it's only the vehcile manufacturer that could provide such assurances... and then they would sell something with maybe Sodium Hypochlorite as the active ingrediant and charge $60 for a bottle

 

[CONROD]

I am all for the Glen 20, I always use the original scent, gives the car the New smell, Sodium Hypochlorite is Bleach, I too use that for cleaning mould and **** prior to painting, good stuff in a bathroom etc but NOT in a confined area such as a car

 

[426Cuda]

Has anyone seen mold in their Air Conditioner? I wouldn't be spraying anything into the HVAC unit unless you could be certain it had mold growing inside.

Good question. I certainlywouldnt be filling my lungs, nor other occupants with harsh chemicals. That said, G20 should be fine. Just leave the aircon running with Windows down, for a good period after spraying, to remove the majority of the spray and any dead spores.

 

[lamb_daiquiri]

Anyone know what the HVAC ducting is made of? Usually there's a material code stamped on it somewhere. I would expect some resistance to alcohols as they are common cleaners, strong oxidisers (sodium hypochlorite evolves chlorine gas as a sterilant) can negatively effect some materials, i.e. POM (acetal) but that depends on stress and exposure time. Personally I'd prefer exposure to ethanol than chlorine if I had to choose.

 

[Dayvo]

super cheap have this on special for $25.00 . Might be worth a shot .

 

[franco]

Im a Glen20 guy as well ,used it for years.
Gone from original scent to crisp linen as it feels like im still in bed when I go to work.
Below is the MSDS for the odour eliminator which most of it is Ethanol.

 

[tml678]

Anyone tried a mould killer spray like Exit Mould.

Have you smelt that crap? There's no way you'd want to breathe it in. Might be good for ripping mold off bathroom tiles, but I wouldn't be spraying it within cooee of my car. Could do untold damage to the components not to mention your health..

 

[greenacc]

It's not just bleach in that stuff there's also Sodium Hydroxide. I wouldn't be keen to put that in my plenum.

 

[Anthony121]

Luckily usb/android phone styled endoscopes can be sent down the vents to have a look if there is any mold issue within current sysyems. Such endoscopes are cheap and range from $10 to $20 on ebay - they also have lots of other uses

Where else have you been sticking your Endoscope?