Can a Whole House Fan Prevent Mold?
As every homeowner knows, mold is not something to take lightly. Mold can cause lots of problems in the home and is usually a warning sign of excessive moisture in the home.
Mold can eat away at your walls and furniture and can cause health issues and allergic reactions. Luckily, there is a simple solution to preventing mold in the home: keeping your home properly ventilated. So, what is the best way to keep your home well-ventilated? In this article, we will explain how a whole house fan can keep your home well-ventilated and prevent mold.
What Causes Mold?
One of the most common causes of mold in the home is poor ventilation. During the winter, you may have the urge to ventilate your attic and seal all of your vents to prevent hot air from escaping and save money on your utility bill. While this may seem like a good idea at first glance, this provides an environment for mold to propagate in your attic.
Hot, moist air can easily get trapped in your home. For example, if your attic is not being ventilated, then the hot, humid air has nowhere to go and is therefore trapped. As the hot air cools, the moisture in the air condenses and forms drops of water. The water can then soak into your ceiling, walls, floors, and furniture where mold can easily grow. Mold can happen anywhere in the home, but it is especially common in the attic.
Another common cause of mold is due to improper ventilation. For example, if you have bathroom, kitchen, and dryer fans that are being vented into your home rather than outside, then moisture can quickly build up, causing mold.
Other causes include ice dams on the roof, roof leaks, and poor insulation. These problems should be addressed immediately and cannot be fixed or prevented by improving ventilation.
How Whole House Fans Can Prevent Mold
However, if you are worried about your home's poor or improper ventilation, then the best thing you can do is install a whole house fan. Whole house fans cycle air throughout the entire house. They push trapped air that may be moist or polluted outside and pull drier, clean air inside. This prevents moist air from building up in your home and ensures that mold cannot get a foothold.
A yearly inspection is a good idea to check for any other contributing factors to mold growth. Furthermore, in addition to installing a whole house fan, an attic fan is especially effective for keeping your attic ventilated and preventing mold growth.