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By your zip code, you're around the Dallas area, Carrolton area. Those are not rag houses and should be a slab on grade. As such, somewhere in the house you'll have the A/C unit. When was the last time it was serviced? That would be the first place I would look for your issues. How often do you put Clorox in the drainline at the air handler? It's required in Texas or expect mold issues with the A/C unit.It may be time for the coils to be cleaned. Generally, a rental, that's on the dweller to address meaning you. If the coils have to come out to be cleaned, it's about an 800. dollar fix. If they can comb them clean and use a sprayer to rinse, it's about a 250 dollar fix. From your post, this sounds like the issue.
Not everybody responses the same to mold issues so everybody in the house may tolerate them but this posters physiology won't. Usually a mold issue is easily fixed once you find the cause.
Very few molds are toxic. Vey few people are allergic to molds. There is mold in every house and mold everywhere outside too. You probably have a greater liklihood of winning a raffle you forgot you entered, than getting sick from toxic mold, but it can happen. It is also possible that only you have this allergy while the other members of the family. However it is much more likely that you have someone else going on and it has nothing to do with where you live. It could well be psysomatic, which does not mean the sickness is not real. However it does impact the treatment. Often if there is no discoverable medical reason for an illness, it is psychosomatic.
Based on several posts by the OP, I think this family is using/needs many social services much of who probably offer "additional services" (let me leave it at that) to aid them.
By your zip code, you're around the Dallas area, Carrolton area. Those are not rag houses and should be a slab on grade. As such, somewhere in the house you'll have the A/C unit. When was the last time it was serviced? That would be the first place I would look for your issues. How often do you put Clorox in the drainline at the air handler? It's required in Texas or expect mold issues with the A/C unit.It may be time for the coils to be cleaned. Generally, a rental, that's on the dweller to address meaning you. If the coils have to come out to be cleaned, it's about an 800. dollar fix. If they can comb them clean and use a sprayer to rinse, it's about a 250 dollar fix. From your post, this sounds like the issue.
Not everybody responses the same to mold issues so everybody in the house may tolerate them but this posters physiology won't. Usually a mold issue is easily fixed once you find the cause.
This is what I'm thinking also.
When the evap. coil for the HVAC unit is clogged it loses volume and with a loss in volume you get a greater temperature drop across the coil. I've seen 48 - 50°F (well below the dew point for somewhere like Texas) come out of supply vents which is what causes the condensation to form on them and hence the mold. Usually the worst ones are in the bathrooms where showers exacerbate the problem.
When was the last time you or your landlord changed the filter? After a while, when the filter gets clogged enough, it collapses and gets stuck to the coil and can also cause the problem above. After many years of running they can get so clogged that you can't even see the coil fins anymore and all the debris stuck to the coil just acts like a big petri dish.
If you're not willing to investigate all of the above and your landlord will not do so either then all you can do is move or try to get someone with an HVAC company to come by and check your system out.
Quote:
You have a right to demand that the landlord repair any condition that materially affects your health and safety. Under Texas law, by renting you the property, the landlord guarantees that the unit will be a fit place to live.
SB 1448 (81st Regular Session), effective January 1, 2010, now grants justices of the peace authority to order landlords to repair or remedy conditions affecting a tenant's health and safety, as long as the cost of the repair does not exceed $10,000. Tenants can go to justice court without an attorney to obtain a repair order.
Under certain conditions, you and the landlord may have a written agreement that you will make needed repairs. The landlord does not have a duty to pay for or make repairs if you or your guests cause an unsafe or unhealthy condition through negligence, carelessness, abuse or accident—unless the condition resulted from "normal wear and tear."
Also, the landlord must provide smoke detectors. You may not waive that provision, and you may not disconnect or disable the smoke detector.
If the landlord won't make repairs needed to protect your health, safety, or security, and you follow the procedures required by law, you may be entitled to:
End the lease;
Have the problem repaired and deduct the cost of the repair from the rent; or
File suit to force the landlord to make the repairs.
You MUST Follow These Steps:
Send the landlord a dated letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by registered mail, outlining the needed repairs. You may also deliver the letter in person. Keep a copy of the letter. Be sure that your rent is current when the notice is received.
Your landlord should make a diligent effort to repair the problem within a reasonable time after receipt of the notice. The law presumes seven days to be a reasonable time, but the landlord can rebut this presumption. If the landlord has not made a diligent effort to complete the repair within seven days and you did not have the first notice letter delivered to your landlord via certified mail, return receipt requested, or via registered mail, you will need to send a second notice letter regarding the needed repairs.
If the landlord still has not made diligent efforts to repair the problem within a reasonable time after receipt of the notice letter sent by certified mail, return receipt requested or by registered mail, you may be entitled to terminate the lease, repair the problem and deduct the cost from your rent, or get a court to order that the repairs be made. You should consult with an attorney before taking any of these actions.
By the way, don't put bleach down the drain even though it's not your system it can still do more harm than good and if you're already having problems with mold breathing chlorine gas isn't going to do you any good.
Not everyone gets the same reactions with moulds in houses, and it can be very dangerous to health...so this woman could be suffering while others in the house dont... but are still being exposed and harmed.. you dont need a shrink , you need to move house..... good luck.
Scientists and doctors do agree on one thing: about one in three people can have allergic reactions to mold. For asthma sufferers who are very young, like Caitlin, or elderly, mold can trigger much more serious problems. Is Hidden Mold at Home Making You Sick? - ABC News
You can order mold test kits online. If you can afford this route, and can prove that you have toxic mold in your home, you might be able to use this as leverage to get your landlord to remedy the problem.
Skin tests, urine and blood tests may detect the mould or should do... this illness has so many symptoms.. skin rashes, headaches, nosebleeds to mention a few.. theres no use with humidifiers if the mould isnt checked out first.. how awful for you..
Pretty comprehensive information on mold from the CDC can be found here.
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