The cure for “dirty-sock syndrome”
The reason for this smell, dubbed “Dirty Sock Syndrome”, is caused by an accumulation of bacteria and mold that grow on the indoor coils of heat pumps and air conditioners. One of the most common cause of "Dirty Sock Syndrome" is when a system is run in “heat” mode temporarily before switching back to cooling mode. During the heating period, bacteria collect and grow on the coil, only to be released all at once the coil becomes cool and damp again.
Mold and corrosion can not only ruin your equipment's performance and increase energy costs but airborne contaminants are potential hazards to your health.
Homeowners with a heat pump system notice this odor again when their system goes into defrost, which usually happens when the temperature outdoors drops to under 40 degrees. "Dirty Sock Syndrome" tends to start surfacing in the Fall, when there may be days that are warm enough to require air conditioning during the day but cool enough at night to use the heating system.
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is affected by conditions we can't always see. When outdoor equipment has been compromised by exposure to environmental elements and corrosion and excess moisture becomes available; hundreds of species of bacteria and fungi -- particularly mold -- pollute indoor air.
The most significant effects of exposure to these pollutants are the increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms, allergies and asthma as well as disturbance of the immune system. Preventing (or minimizing) persistent dampness and microbial growth on interior surfaces and building structures is the most important means of avoiding harmful effects on health.
VindEX Ultra not only guards and protects your coil and ductwork from microbial contaminants, it reduces the corrosion of metal surfaces and protects them from environmental conditions. Professional application protects the air you breathe, prolongs overall system effectiveness and your equipment investment. Read "A Discussion of HVAC Coil Coatings" for the results of a recent study lead by the R & D team at Mainstream Engineering Corp.
A recent VindEX success story:
Diane Saunders (Thursday, December 15 16 08:13 am EST)
I Just want to say THANK YOU for creating a product that really works! I had the dirty sock syndrome and it was making my whole family sick and I did some research and found "VINDEX" and it wasn't expensive and the most important thing is IT WORKED!! You guys are #1 in my book for making this product. Thank You!!
We’ve put VindEX to the test and the results are impressive
Advances in polymer chemistry have finally cured "Dirty Sock Syndrome". Once applied, VindEX Ultra immediately begins protecting your home and family from airborne mold and bacteria circulated into the heating and air conditioning system. It eliminates odors associated with "Dirty-Sock" and "Sick Building" syndromes.
Rigorous testing using Independent Microbial Barrier Testing procedures to determine the antimicrobial effectiveness against standard test organisms, (Time Kill Procedure per ASTM E2315), indicate that VindEX polymer consistently produced an average five-log kill of a population count >10,000,000 inoculum of all organisms identified in USP<51> [Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli (E. coli), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, E. faecalis, S. pyogenes and Aspergillus brasiliensis] within 30 seconds of contact.