Breathing in mold spores can be deadly. Certain molds cause permanent, irreversible brain and lung damage. If there is mold in the ductwork it is likely to be spread throughout the entire home.

We take phone calls every week from customers who have a hard time putting together coherent sentences. They tell us they have a hard time remembering things, and get confused easily.

Simply explaining the facts of ozone use to them can be difficult. 

We wonder if this could be possible from the brain damage they have already suffered as reported by the American Medical Association.

First it is important to note that low levels of ozone used for air purification will NOT sanitize the ducts. It takes very high levels of ozone, much higher than we can breath to kill mold.

To little a concentration of ozone means all the mold will not be killed. It's not just a matter of leaving a smaller machine on for a longer period of time. 
That helps, but if the machine is not powerful enough, the ozone concentration will NEVER reach the kill ratio needed to obliterate the mold. 

If the ventilation system is infected with mold, the mold must be killed. 
Air handlers spread mold spores all over the home, and make the mold infection worse. 
If your ducts smell moldy, they surely contain mold spores.
 

You may want to fire the ozone into a return air duct of the system to help sanitize the ducts. Using a high output generator like the XT-6000 fired into the ventilation system is a good way to start killing to mold.

But this method is usually not enough to truly sanitize the ductwork. 

The most important thing to note is to kill mold the ozone concentration needs to be as high as possible. Too little ozone concentration means all the mold will not be killed.

High levels of ozone, for a sustained amount of time, are required to kill molds and bacteria. 

Using a small machine with a low milligram per hour output for longer periods of time IS NOT THE SAME as using a larger output machine.  This is due to the fact that ozone typically reverts back to oxygen within 20-30 minutes. 

Since the ozone is always breaking down, there is only a certain parts per million concentration that the ozone level will be able to reach.  Whether you leave the machine on for 2 hours or 2 days, the ozone concentration level will go no higher.  Without certain levels of ozone concentrations for a sustained period, all the mold cannot be killed.

This is true when killing mold in ductwork.  Although firing a high powered ozone generator like the XT-6000  the return air duct may kill some of the mold, it may not kill it all. 

This is because the return air vent will be drawing in large amounts of air at the same time, which will drastically lower the ozone concentration.

Even if you seal the return air vent to make sure only ozone is entering it, it is rare that this ozone concentration will be high enough as it is just passing through the ducts to kill all the mold.

You will remove some of the mold odors, but you will not truly sanitize the ductwork with this method. 

The problem with this method is the same problem as using too small a machine to try and kill the mold.  The ozone level just passing through may not be high enough to get the job done.
Too much air will be in the drawn into the ducts with the ozone lowering the total ozone concentration.

This is to say that this method should not be performed, but there are additional steps that should be taken.
 

If the XT-28000 is used, it has a much better chance in killing all the mold inside an air handling system because of its tremendous ozone output.  Professionals can blast out air systems by firing the XT-28000 into a return air duct vent. This method can also help remediate the entire house of mold. It is not recommended to blast a ventilation system for more than 6-12 hours as too much after odor of ozone may be left behind.  If the home is still infected with mold then the XT-28000 should be placed in a central location inside the home, or in individual rooms to remediate them.

First the air ducts should be cleaned by a professional with a spinning head vacuum. 
This is to suck all the loose dust and dirt out of the system. 
It is very important to remove all foreign matter from the ductwork.
If dirt and dust are left in the ducts it provides a medium for the mold and bacteria to grow on.

Typically it only costs $75.00 to $150.00 for a professional to come vacuum out your ductwork. 
Some large stores such as Sears and Macy's offer this service for a reasonable rate. 
Be sure and not pay too much for this service, it is a simple task that only takes an hour or two to perform.

One word of advice: Cover the valuables and furniture in your home as it is likely to stir up all sorts of dirt in your ducts. 

When your turn the system on there may be a cloud of dirt and dust everywhere.

It is a advised to leave the house for a little while once you restart they system. 

Wearing a breathing mask is also advised when you return to clean up the leftover dust that may contain mold spores.

Once the ductwork has been physically cleaned out the process of sterilization by ozone can begin. 
There is no substitute for physically vacuuming out all debris from ductwork, it must be done if possible.

After the ductwork has been vacuumed out, all the vents and openings should be closed to the system.  They may have to be covered with cardboard and taped closed to avoid any air leaks that could let the ozone escape.
 

At this point one of the vent covers of the ductwork can be taken off. A hose can then be connected to the ozone generator and the open end of the hose placed inside the duct. It is a good idea to tape up around  the hose to make sure no ozone escapes.  Then the duct can be blasted out for an hour to make sure all the mold and bacteria is killed.  This high level of ozone fired into the duct will kill most of the mold remaining.

Then the ozone can be fed throughout the entire system with a high powered machine like the XT-6000 via the cold are return duct to help kill whatever mold may be remaining in the air handler unit itself.

It might be noted that it is harder for ozone to work in a cold environment, so it is advisable just to run the ozone with the fan on, and the air conditioner off.

Firing ozone into each leg of the ductwork is the ONLY method to truly sanitize the ductwork with ozone, unless a machine as powerful as the XT-28000 is used.

It may be one of the only effective methods to truly ensure all the mold and bacteria is killed in the ductwork.

Again, realize that simply firing the ozone through the ductwork alone will NOT sanitize the entire house, unless a machine as powerful as the XT-28000 is used.

The ozone concentration will NEVER get high enough to treat all the rooms at one time with an XT-6000.

Rooms must be blasted out ONE AT A TIME to ensure that a high enough ozone concentration is achieved to kill the mold and bacteria in every room, unless a machine as powerful as the XT-24000 is used.
 

A Mold Test Kit should then be used to ensure that all the mold has been killed. If you have had a previous mold problem, mold testing from time to time is advised. You can purchase professional mold test kits from us on our Models page.

It is important to note that low levels of ozone will not "maintain" the ducts and prevent them from regrouping the mold. 
The maintenance IS the high ozone treatment, not air purification levels of ozone.

High levels of ozone are what is needed to kill the mold. 

Air purification levels of ozone are NOT going to solve, or prevent a mold inside the ductwork from returning.

If there is a mold problem in your ductwork, and it is not taken care of, you will never get a handle on the mold problem in your home.

There may be other methods of ridding the mold out of your ducts recommended to you. Be very careful what method to choose, because mold in ductwork is a very serious issue. It is not worth gambling with your families health not to do the job right.

Ozone is a scientifically proven Mold Killer.   Click Here for proof.

If there has been a history of mold in ductwork there may be more concerns to consider.

Even dried mold spores can contain mycotoxins which can still cause health problems. 

It is suggested that even if you have had your ducts cleaned then sanitized with ozone that it may be a good idea to have a true HEPA filter present to collect any remaining loose spores that could become airborne. 

A HEPA grade filter should be substituted for the standard air filter on your furnace. 
This may still not be enough protection since there is a large square footage area to cover in an entire house.

It is advised to have a free standing HEPA filter in key rooms of your home, such as bedrooms, and living rooms for complete protection. HEPA filters won't kill the spores like ozone will, but they will help rid any remain or regrowing spores that are present.

Cheap store bought HEPA filters that sell for $100-$200 are not recommended. They require costly filter changes a number of times per year.

At the end of the year you will have spent more for a cheap HEPA filter than for a really good machine like the kind we offer.
 

The HEPA (High Efficiency Particle Arresting) filter was developed by the U.S. government to protect scientists from radioactive airborne particles. The HEPA air filter removes 99.97% of harmful particles, including dust, mold spores, dust mites, pet dander and other troublesome allergens.  Along with our ozone generators that kill mold spores, these fine HEPA filters can trap any remaining mold spores still floating in the air.  Used in conjunction with ozone generators, HEPA filters provide the absolute best air purifying / air filtration system available. To learn more about our high quality line of HEPA filters, please Click Here.

To kill mold and remove strong odors there needs to be as high an ozone concentration as possible in the room.  Since ozone breaks down within 15 to 30 minutes it is important to keep producing large amounts of it to keep the ozone concentration at a sufficient kill level.

Using a smaller machine twice as long is not the same as using a higher powered machine since the ozone breaks down so quickly.

With a smaller machine the ozone level never has a chance to "catch up" to the required parts per million concentration needed to kill the mold or bacteria.

It is always recommended to use as large a machine as possible for mold and bacterial problems.

That's why the XT-6000 is the choice of homeowners and professionals that deal with severe problems.