What to Do About Musty Smells in Your Home

Have you noticed a stale, musty smell in your home recently? When conditions are right, this kind of unpleasant odor can waft out of your HVAC registers, permeate the basement, or assail your nostrils when you open up a seldom-used room or closet. Learning what causes musty smells can help you get them under control so you can enjoy a fresher, healthier home again.

Causes and Concerns of Musty Odors

Musty odors often develop when the weather is humid or rainy. This is when moisture in the air and a warm home help create the ideal growth environment for the source of that foul smell — mildew and mold. Beyond the bad odor, mildew and mold growth can cause allergic reactions, respiratory distress or serious health issues and cause costly damage to your home.

Tips for Eradicating Musty Household Odors

The first step in eliminating musty odors is to check for and deal with obvious mold or mildew throughout the house.

• Throw away any mildewed or moldy items, then kill any visible patches of growth on household surfaces using hydrogen peroxide or bleach.
• If you’re getting a musty smell from your registers, flush out the HVAC system’s condensate drain. If the odor persists, you may need to have the evaporator coil professionally cleaned.

Next, take steps to limit the chances of fungal growth and the funky odors it can produce by addressing potential moisture sources and problems with excess humidity:

• Look for and fix leaks and condensation issues around plumbing fixtures and lines, water-using appliances, windows, doors, and the foundation, roof and exterior walls.
• Boost ventilation by running properly-vented exhaust fans in the bathrooms and kitchen when showering or cooking. If you have a tightly constructed home, talk to your HVAC professional about adding a ventilator unit to expel moisture-laden indoor air and introduce fresh outdoor air.
• Control humidity levels by running a portable dehumidifier in problem areas like the basement, or have a whole-house dehumidifier installed.

For expert help addressing musty smells and improving the air quality in your Lorain home, contact us today at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 440-201-2959.