Re: Window unit AC's, Ducts lined with styrofoam - Is it me, or them?

[Guest guest]

Glad you found something you could use. It's a good criteria for purchasing.

I've just adding some info.

At 08:33 PM 4/22/2009, you wrote:

>air conditioners. Is it just me, or does lining the duct work

>of a window unit air conditioner

It's to insulate temperature differentials to prevent moisture condensation.

It's easy to clean and dust does not easily stick to it, if designed right.

>if this stuff gets moldy, it's so porous,

It's a closed cell foam, not normal open cell foam like used for

sponges and seat cushions.

Air and water do not penetrate it. It does or can have many small

indentations due to

the bubbles joining together, where 3 bubbles join will be a small

cavity, that is not deep.

If manufactured right, these indentations can be very few, and the surface can

be very hard and smooth, so dust does not stick. If the foam is kept with a

positive electrical charge to repel dust, then it remains clean as long as the

charge does not short to ground due to dust accumulating at the joint lines

with other components, where dust will go first. Also, the foam should be

bubbled with a safe gas, like nitrogen or carbon dioxide, not fluormaldehyde.

>I just don't see how you could ever clean it. Would it even stand

>up to bleach, or ammonia? Scrubbing? I doubt it.

It will only need a paper towel wet in water and wipe it every 6 months or so.

There is a worse problem where the Styrofoam meets other materials,

and the joint is deep, where dust sticks. That happens if it's not cleaned

every 6 months. Or 3 months during heavy use. Use an air compressor

to use 60-100 pounds of air blast will clear out most all dust from even

deep cracks, while forcing a small amount of dust deeper.

The solution? Easy. After 3 years buy a new one. It's better that than

suffering the health impact. Or, take it apart and clean it well.

I did write a post for another list, about 5-7 years ago, about

cleaning AC units. <g>

Some manufacturers have two manuals, one for the user, and one for the

repair guy. The repair manual tells you how to un-assemble the unit,

clean it, and reassemble it.

[Guest guest]

-Just thought I would warn people about what awaits them in the future. In my

first recovery, I tolerated window units very well, spending a summer working in

AC room in VA. But as you accumulate exposures and recoveries your illness

upregulates. I lost an apartment , a travel trailer and a portable building all

to AC, which becomes intolerable to the up-regulated hypersensitized mold

reator. Most of my known hypersensitized moldies have suffered this. If someone

had allerted me, I might still be living someplace besides a tent in the desert.

> Glad you found something you could use. It's a good criteria for purchasing.

> I've just adding some info.

>

> At 08:33 PM 4/22/2009, you wrote:

> >air conditioners. Is it just me, or does lining the duct work

> >of a window unit air conditioner

>

[Guest guest]

,

Thank you for that response. Perhaps, the lined ducts are not as

bad as I thought?

I will say the only example I have seen in use was tinged with black mold. To

its credit, the black mold is very easy to see against the white styrofoam

background. Now, the unit I saw was not coated and dripping with mold mind you

(after 3 years of use), just lightly tinged.

Too, the foam I saw was smooth, but not that smooth. I would venture to day it

was not even as smooth as the typical styrofoam cup.

I usually keep a small flashlight in my pocket so I will have my eye

out for window units, and inspect them when I can. I hope others will do the

same so we can build up a body of knowledge on this subject. I know most

people have central heat and air now, but a significant portion of the

population still is using window units (and I wonder if most of these people

aren't poor, and elderly?).

In conclusion, if I had a unit lined with styrofoam, I would be very careful to

run the fan for about 15 minutes to dry it out before turning it off. I learned

that from Jeffery May, and it definitely cut down on the mold problems we were

having with our units. When he told me that little trick, I felt like Homer

Simpson, " Doh ! Why didn't I think of that? ! "

Best,

Todd in Tenn.

======================================================

> >air conditioners. Is it just me, or does lining the duct work

> >of a window unit air conditioner

>

> It's to insulate temperature differentials to prevent moisture condensation.

> It's easy to clean and dust does not easily stick to it, if designed right.

>

> >if this stuff gets moldy, it's so porous,

>

> It's a closed cell foam, not normal open cell foam like used for

> sponges and seat cushions.

> Air and water do not penetrate it. It does or can have many small

> indentations due to

> the bubbles joining together, where 3 bubbles join will be a small

> cavity, that is not deep.

>

> If manufactured right, these indentations can be very few, and the surface can

> be very hard and smooth, so dust does not stick. If the foam is kept with a

> positive electrical charge to repel dust, then it remains clean as long as the

> charge does not short to ground due to dust accumulating at the joint lines

> with other components, where dust will go first. Also, the foam should be

> bubbled with a safe gas, like nitrogen or carbon dioxide, not fluormaldehyde.

>

> >I just don't see how you could ever clean it. Would it even stand

> >up to bleach, or ammonia? Scrubbing? I doubt it.

>

> It will only need a paper towel wet in water and wipe it every 6 months or so.

> There is a worse problem where the Styrofoam meets other materials,

> and the joint is deep, where dust sticks. That happens if it's not cleaned

> every 6 months. Or 3 months during heavy use. Use an air compressor

> to use 60-100 pounds of air blast will clear out most all dust from even

> deep cracks, while forcing a small amount of dust deeper.

>

> The solution? Easy. After 3 years buy a new one. It's better that than

> suffering the health impact. Or, take it apart and clean it well.

>

> I did write a post for another list, about 5-7 years ago, about

> cleaning AC units. <g>

> Some manufacturers have two manuals, one for the user, and one for the

> repair guy. The repair manual tells you how to un-assemble the unit,

> clean it, and reassemble it.

>

[Guest guest]

At 04:52 PM 4/24/2009, you wrote:

>Thank you for that response. Perhaps, the lined ducts are not as

>bad as I thought?

I agree with you, buyer beware, as some are just fine, but others are

straight out cheap, cheap losers, that is the foam is the first to

disintegrate. Buyer beware.

Window AC units are almost down to 'disposal' units, like cigarette

lighters, cell phones, and microwaves.

$100 unit is not going to last the summer. $200 might last 2-3 years.

>Too, the foam I saw was smooth, but not that smooth. I would venture

>to day it was not even as smooth as the typical styrofoam cup.

Now, you are looking at the fine details needed to make an informed decision.

>the population still is using window units (and I wonder if most of

>these people aren't poor, and elderly?).

Or global warming is having them installed where the weather was

typically never

warm enough for so many days in row...

>In conclusion, if I had a unit lined with styrofoam, I would be very

>careful to run the fan for about 15 minutes to dry it out before

>turning it off.

Excellent idea. Yes. Good. Condensation forms at all times, but

especially upon shutdown

and for many minutes afterwards as the cold condenser side of the

unit warms up.

> I learned that from Jeffery May, and it definitely cut down on the

> mold problems we were having with our units. When he told me that

> little trick, I felt like Homer Simpson, " Doh ! Why didn't I think of that? ! "

Doh! You and me, both.

[Guest guest]

Todd,

You are correct in wishing for smooth interior surface but the Styrofoam is the

closest you will come to this; like you, every portable A/C unit that I have

seen has this insulation inside.

What is cute is that the manufacturers have caught on to the mold problem and

they now use black and white spotted foam to camouflage the mold.

Bottom line is that the only hope you can have to avoid mold on the cooling

coil, blower, surfaces, etc. is to use MERV-7 (preferably MERV-8) filtration.

Since all the guts of a portable A/C is AFTER the cooling coil, the relative

humidity of the air after the coil in humid climates will be close to 100%,

perfect for microbial growth on whatever little speck of dust that gets past the

filter. (Avoid using corn starch body powder for this reason!)

Web Products is one company that sells supplemental filters for A/C units. Try

to get an A/C that has enough room in the filter slot for the 3/8-inch thick

filter to fit inside, otherwise you have to tape it to the outside.(The grill

also has to pop off as I don't see how you can slide the flexible foam into a

narrow vertical filter slot if you don't want to look at the filter.)

And be sure not to let any filter touch the coil or you will be passing your air

through a dirty, wet sponge instead of a filter. (I just investigated a house in

which the filter on a basement portable dehumidifier (which has not been cleaned

in years) was touching the coil. More than 90% of the collected dust was

Cladosporium and Aspergillus mold. Great filter!

May

May Indoor Air Investigations LLC

www.mayindoorair.com

>

> ,

>

> Thank you for that response. Perhaps, the lined ducts are not as

> bad as I thought?

>

> I will say the only example I have seen in use was tinged with black mold. To

its credit, the black mold is very easy to see against the white styrofoam

background. Now, the unit I saw was not coated and dripping with mold mind you

(after 3 years of use), just lightly tinged.

>

> Too, the foam I saw was smooth, but not that smooth. I would venture to day

it was not even as smooth as the typical styrofoam cup.

>

[Guest guest]

At 11:23 AM 4/26/2009, you wrote:

>You are correct in wishing for smooth interior surface but the

>Styrofoam is the closest you will come to this; like you, every

>portable A/C unit that I have seen has this insulation inside.

It's needed when they downsized the weight of the unit, which was only possible

with the use of foam. It also made it smaller. And less expensive, so they

could sell more that last only one summer... and you buy another one

the next summer.

Also, these lighter units can be mounted higher in the window, not

just at the bottom.

They can thus grab hot air near the ceiling, cool it, and you feel better.

Pros and cons...

>What is cute is that the manufacturers have caught on to the mold

>problem and they now use black and white spotted foam to camouflage the mold.

Argh! I can spell 'inferior product' ... we have to spread rumors

that brand new units

are coming out with fungus colonies in them already.... those two

'facts' will dent

this method, nip it in the bud, before they all do it.

>Bottom line is that the only hope you can have to avoid mold on the

>cooling coil, blower, surfaces, etc. is to use MERV-7 (preferably

>MERV-8) filtration.

Careful with heating up the fan motor bearings and creating lube fumes.

The increased air resistance will make the fan work harder than designed,

unless the unit is recommended for such. Some are.

>Web Products is one company that sells supplemental filters for A/C

>units. Try to get an A/C that has enough room in the filter slot for

>the 3/8-inch thick filter to fit inside, otherwise you have to tape

>it to the outside.(The grill also has to pop off as I don't see how

>you can slide the flexible foam into a narrow vertical filter slot

>if you don't want to look at the filter.)

Be aware that running the fan after cooling is turn off is critical,

otherwise these

filters trap in moisture, and mold will grow!

Good stuff May.

[Guest guest]

,

I have used the Web filters and never had a problem. I do not believe that they

have enough static pressure to cause problems for an A/C with a squirrel cage

blower.

In a portable A/C, the motor operates both the blower for the (indoor) cooling

coil and the fan for the (outdoor) condensing coil and splash ring. These motors

have significant capacity but could also be slowed by resistance due to sludge

in the condensate water as well as a clogged condensing coil; like regular

filter changes, it is prudent to clean the " exterior " components of the A/C.

There is indeed a conflict between the need for efficient filtration and the

need to meet recent government required " seasonal energy efficiency ratings "

(SEER).

I had a discussion with a manufacturer's rep of mini-split A/Cs who said that to

meet the most recent, mandated SEER value, fan power was decreased to reduce

energy consumption and a MERV-8 filter would probably have too much static

pressure (though these A/C units, unlike window A/Cs, do not use squirrel-cage

blowers; they use about two-foot long, approximately 2-inch wide blowers with

motors that are separate from the powerful condenser-fan motor and only operate

the evaporator coil blower).

It's a sorry state of affairs. Filtration is essential for maintaining IAQ and

the SEER requirements restrict using adequate filtration, thus guaranteeing mold

problems in mini-split A/Cs.

I would agree that running the fan helps to dry the coil (and it is a practice

that I use with my central A/Cs as well, alternately only operating one unit on

cooling and one on fan only for a while) but I would not agree that the " filters

trap moisture. "

On a portable A/C, a flexible, foam filter in contact with a wet coil will get

moldy from contact with coil water, not from trapping moisture.

On a portable A/C with a rigid plastic screen (that is not in contact with the

coil), it is the proximity to the wet coil that might lead to mold growth due to

elevated relative humidity. So evaporating the coil moisture lowers the local

RH.

I would rather risk burning out a portable A/C (though I don't think this is

likely)than risk rampant mold in the A/C because I used the junk filter that

came with the unit rather than a MERV-7 filter that keeps the coil clean.

May

May Indoor Air Investigations

www.mayindoorair.com

> >Bottom line is that the only hope you can have to avoid mold on the

> >cooling coil, blower, surfaces, etc. is to use MERV-7 (preferably

> >MERV-8) filtration.

>

> Careful with heating up the fan motor bearings and creating lube fumes.

> The increased air resistance will make the fan work harder than designed,

> unless the unit is recommended for such. Some are.

>

> >Web Products is one company that sells supplemental filters for A/C

> >units. Try to get an A/C that has enough room in the filter slot for

> >the 3/8-inch thick filter to fit inside, otherwise you have to tape

> >it to the outside.(The grill also has to pop off as I don't see how

> >you can slide the flexible foam into a narrow vertical filter slot

> >if you don't want to look at the filter.)

>

> Be aware that running the fan after cooling is turn off is critical,

> otherwise these

> filters trap in moisture, and mold will grow!

>

> Good stuff May.

>

[Guest guest]

Mr. May,

Thank you for all the good tips you've given me over the years.

The painter's tape on my Santa Fe Rx filter was a life saver.

I'd like to reiterate that the Sears Kenmore window unit AC we

got (last year's model) did NOT have styrofoam in it. It is a

hard, slick, black (!), plastic. It is easy to clean, and will

stand up to modest use of various chemicals (beach, etc.)

Maybe not the quietest model, but I guess one can't have

everything.

One thing though. The MERV 8 filter you recommended from WebFilters.

We got two last year, and did NOT have good luck w/ them at all.

They smelled of some chemical really bad. We tried to air them out,

and sun them out. But to no avail. We finally had to toss them,

as I have multiple chemical sensitivities. Others might need to be cautious of

this too.

I finally decided that parking a good air filter in front of the air

intake, but not blocking the air exit, would create a bubble of clean air that

was more than adequate for the window unit AC. I used my Santa Fe Rx for this

for a couple of years (MERV 11), and I found hardly any dust at all in the ducts

during my yearly cleaning.

Btw, the Sears Kenmore unit, which must cool our whole house, 1500 sq.ft.,

25,0000 btu. , cost us around $600.00 I don't know about you, but that's a lot

of money for us. We can't afford to toss that out every 1-3 years. Ideally,

I'd like to get 10 years out it. And I think that's very possible with a MERV

11-14 air cleaner sitting next to it, drying it out after use, and cleaning it

yearly.

I don't know about drilling out the drainpan (as Jeffery has suggested to me

before). That could cut down on the life of a unit?

But ours ran two years that way without burning out, and we have some very

hot/humid summers. It might be that leaving a very small amount of water just

where the fan dipring hits (usually there is a small indentation in the metal

there to form a small extra well for water to collect) could strike a balance;

leaving a small amount of water to be thrown on the heat dissipation coils, but

not enough to collect bugs and foster mold growth.

Best,

Todd in Tenn.

>

> Todd,

>

> You are correct in wishing for smooth interior surface but the Styrofoam is

the closest you will come to this; like you, every portable A/C unit that I have

seen has this insulation inside.

>

> What is cute is that the manufacturers have caught on to the mold problem and

they now use black and white spotted foam to camouflage the mold.

>

> Bottom line is that the only hope you can have to avoid mold on the cooling

coil, blower, surfaces, etc. is to use MERV-7 (preferably MERV-8) filtration.

>

> Since all the guts of a portable A/C is AFTER the cooling coil, the relative

humidity of the air after the coil in humid climates will be close to 100%,

perfect for microbial growth on whatever little speck of dust that gets past the

filter. (Avoid using corn starch body powder for this reason!)

>

> Web Products is one company that sells supplemental filters for A/C units. Try

to get an A/C that has enough room in the filter slot for the 3/8-inch thick

filter to fit inside, otherwise you have to tape it to the outside.(The grill

also has to pop off as I don't see how you can slide the flexible foam into a

narrow vertical filter slot if you don't want to look at the filter.)

>

> And be sure not to let any filter touch the coil or you will be passing your

air through a dirty, wet sponge instead of a filter. (I just investigated a

house in which the filter on a basement portable dehumidifier (which has not

been cleaned in years) was touching the coil. More than 90% of the collected

dust was Cladosporium and Aspergillus mold. Great filter!

>

> May

> May Indoor Air Investigations LLC

> www.mayindoorair.com

>

[Guest guest]

At 09:45 AM 4/29/2009, you wrote:

>The painter's tape on my Santa Fe Rx filter was a life saver.

Painter's tape, the blue tape that easily removes taking all its

adhesive with it (for the first 14 days, and I have good experience

two years later - just pull it up slowly) is a life saver for me, too.

>I'd like to reiterate that the Sears Kenmore window unit AC we

>got (last year's model) did NOT have styrofoam in it.

Cool.

>Maybe not the quietest model, but I guess one can't have everything.

The foam can also deaden sound.

>One thing though. The MERV 8 filter you recommended from WebFilters.

>We got two last year, and did NOT have good luck w/ them at all.

>They smelled of some chemical really bad. We tried to air them out,

>and sun them out. But to no avail.

I had one model from them, that was washable. So, I washed it, and the

smell was reduced by 95%.

There are two " types " of noses, meaning some noses can smell things

the others can not. Do you recall in 7th grade health class the teacher

passed out little strips of paper, then told everyone to taste them?

Over half my class tasted nothing. Only five people tasted something.

That's the two types of noses for you.

So, you might smell the filter, and only a few other people will.

>We finally had to toss them, as I have multiple chemical sensitivities.

I eventually gave my away for someone who said they wanted to try that brand.

>Others might need to be cautious of this too.

>

>I finally decided that parking a good air filter in front of the air

>intake,

Filtering the air " before " it enters is a great idea.

Until it rains. It should dry out before you need it next.

However, here in Los Angeles, no one drinks rain water,

as it's brown, and tastes quite bad. I would not want this

water on my air filter.

I mentioned air resistance and fan bearing overheating.

A cure for this is to increase the filter surface area,

by use side by side filters in a V shape. The openings

have to be covered, use painter's tape and foil.

>Btw, the Sears Kenmore unit, which must cool our whole house, 1500

>sq.ft., 25,0000 btu. , cost us around $600.00 I don't know about

>you, but that's a lot of money for us. We can't afford to toss that

>out every 1-3 years.

I recommended that only if one let's it get dirty and never cleans it,

and I suggested the less costly units, for those who are not up to

cleaning or keeping it clean, (but have the money. - I had to put

the option in front of the readers, as it's a valid option for some.)

>Ideally, I'd like to get 10 years out it.

I agree for that level of money that 10 years is fine.

In fact, 15 years if you keep it clean, and you do.

Most AC units have two failure modes:

1) moving parts, the fan motor bearing fails or the motor brushes

wear down to nubs.

Brushes are cheap to repair, though the labor cost of getting to the

motor is higher

than replacing the motor, or even buying a new AC unit if it was a cheap unit.

2) The compressor pump and it's internal spring breaks. The pump must be

replaced, as the spring can not be replaced due to being a sealed unit.

Again, we live in disposal society, caused by the rising cost of per hour of

labor, so the full AC unit replacement cost is less than repairing the unit.

The other causes of unit failure are mostly preventable and related to dirt,

as is one mode of failure for the fan motor bearing. Blockage of air passages,

dirt on the cooling coils causes inefficiencies and overheating and breakage.

Other modes of failure are minor, and occur rarely, and in some cases,

are easily fixed, for the most part, by the trained home owner. Read

mechanically inclined, good with a screwdriver, and knows the basics

about electronics and can spot a bad (burnt component) or open wire

or switch.

>I don't know about drilling out the drainpan (as Jeffery has

>suggested to me before). That could cut down on the life of a unit?

Good question. The drain pipe is also an evaporation pan to prevent the

water from going " elsewhere " , like down to the bottom of the unit, and

onto the window sill, ruining the paint job, soaking the bare wood

in water, and causing wet rot, and need to replace the window sill.

Or worse, entering the interior of the wall and causing Black mold,

resulting in red tagging the home, and the home's destruction.

As it's basically a water trap that has to be emptied, and the current

method is evaporation... I would think a call to the manufacturer, or

check the manuals, would easily reassure you that a hole to a

tube directing the water to a bucket or something to move the

water ***away*** from the home's foundation (should never get

that wet) is not just safe enough, but is normal.

>But ours ran two years that way without burning out, and we have

>some very hot/humid summers. It might be that leaving a very small

>amount of water just where the fan dipring hits (usually there is a

>small indentation in the metal there to form a small extra well for

>water to collect) could strike a balance; leaving a small amount of

>water to be thrown on the heat dissipation coils,

The amount of water will only increase the heat dissipation by a

single percentage

point. Forced air cooling is designed that way. Heat pumps being

more efficient

and cost effective (except in high outside heat) would like the extra

water a few

more percentage points, in my scientific estimation. The risk for me would be

more than I would want to take.

>but not enough to collect bugs and foster mold growth.

Ask the maker. You can find their phone number online.

[Guest guest]

At 06:06 AM 4/28/2009, you wrote:

>I have used the Web filters and never had a problem. I do not

>believe that they have enough static pressure to cause problems for

>an A/C with a squirrel cage blower.

I agree. Such blowers are the second most efficient way to move air.

The next level is a scientifically modeled fan blades, like a car's

turbo charger.

This fans make a lot of noise. I implemented the fluid dynamic math equations

in a computer aided design software package to model the blade surfaces

so they could be manufactured.

You make a lot of fine, worthy points about AC units.

I should have added a second reason about overheated motor bearings

is the ***fire danger*** they represent. Fortunately, in a AC unit,

there is little to burn before the motor seizes, or a thermal shutdown

safety switch activates. Unlike something actually inside the home.

However, curtains are certainly a fire danger.

I've learned that when I post suggestions to include ALL warnings,

as many readers are brain fogged, and may not realize the dangers.

That motivated my post about any motor bearing overheating from

excessive use causing lube fumes, that we would all hate to inhale.

>I had a discussion with a manufacturer's rep of mini-split A/Cs who

>said that to meet the most recent, mandated SEER value, fan power

>was decreased to reduce energy consumption and a MERV-8 filter would

>probably have too much static pressure

Meaning the increased fan stress might overheat it's bearings,

leading to reduced lifetime, breakage

and possible sparks and fire danger, and also the lube fumes I

previously mentioned.

>It's a sorry state of affairs. Filtration is essential for

>maintaining IAQ and the SEER requirements restrict using adequate

>filtration, thus guaranteeing mold problems in mini-split A/Cs.

I agree. Let's leave the talk about conspiracy to reduce the

population to another thread, another time,

maybe another list, even though most subscribers should be aware of

this factor. I leave it up to the

list owner to valid this chain of thought and whether it's an

acceptance topic for this list.

>I would agree that running the fan helps to dry the coil (and it is

>a practice that I use with my central A/Cs as well, alternately only

>operating one unit on cooling and one on fan only for a while) but I

>would not agree that the " filters trap moisture. "

Hmm, it was ambiguous to use the word 'moisture.' Water air vapor

should be substituted, so

to not confuse with condensation moisture you mentioned. The

increased static air pressure

behind the filter will slow down the air flow, and the faster,

lighter air molecules, compared to

the heavier ones of N2, O2 and CO2 (99.8% of the air molecules), can

better 'escape' the

moving air flow past the coils, thus H2O, water, a lighter molecule

can build up. Also, dust

particles in the slower air can settle down, and contact with

surfaces can result in

adhesion, and dust build up on the interior parts.

Jeff makes several good points I did not include.

>I would rather risk burning out a portable A/C (though I don't think

>this is likely)

I agree that burning out an AC unit is hard to do, unless it's the

$100-200 models,

then it can be as easy as leaving on it during the night, or for a

week running.

The cheap sleeve bearing heats up, forces out lube, and the bearing seizes.

I've tossed out six fans now as the motor stopped turned. I used a lot of

air circulation methods when the air was bad from the hot water heater

bacterial infection. So, I did my motor bearing research when one fan did

not seize up, thus for about 3 weeks it put out lube fumes, almost knocking

me dead before it seized, saving my life. I still react to lube

fumes. Amazing how

much more each passing year brings to the web in free information

for the motivated speed reader, fighting for their life.

Great list, Jeff!!! Thanks for creating it.

>than risk rampant mold in the A/C because I used the junk filter

>that came with the unit rather than a MERV-7 filter that keeps the coil clean.

I'm in total agreement with all the points Jeff replied with.

[Guest guest]

Does anyone know what the odor is in these filters?

>

> Mr. May,

>

> Thank you for all the good tips you've given me over the years.

> The painter's tape on my Santa Fe Rx filter was a life saver.

>

> I'd like to reiterate that the Sears Kenmore window unit AC we

> got (last year's model) did NOT have styrofoam in it. It is a

> hard, slick, black (!), plastic. It is easy to clean, and will

> stand up to modest use of various chemicals (beach, etc.)

> Maybe not the quietest model, but I guess one can't have

> everything.

>

[Guest guest]

Todd,

Sorry about the off-gassing. As I recall, I too found the initial odor

offensive, but tolerable.

The Santa Fe Rx is an expensive " pre-filter " but if it works, great.

But I would not give up. There are lots of manufacturers of filter material and

there ought to be one brand out there that does not off-gas. It's certainly a

cheaper solution and one worth checking out.

On a side note, we have one of those glass shower enclosures in the new house

where we are living. We have been using a squeegee to dry the glass after

showering and last night I happened to look at the back side of the rubber blade

after coughing a few times while cleaning the glass.

Guess what, covered with brown dust, which I immediately sampled (I did get

dressed first) and cultured. Looks like Aureobasidium mold, lots of hyphae and

small spores. I'll wait and see what pops up.

It's a losing battle!

May

May Indoor Air Investigations LLC

www.mayindoorair.com

Don't Let Mold Take Hold!

>

> Mr. May,

>

> Thank you for all the good tips you've given me over the years.

> The painter's tape on my Santa Fe Rx filter was a life saver.

>

> I'd like to reiterate that the Sears Kenmore window unit AC we

> got (last year's model) did NOT have styrofoam in it. It is a

> hard, slick, black (!), plastic. It is easy to clean, and will

> stand up to modest use of various chemicals (beach, etc.)

> Maybe not the quietest model, but I guess one can't have

> everything.

>