Persistent Musty Smell: Mould Colony Deep in the Evaporator Coil
Aircon case in Kampong Glam, Singapore: airflow traced to mould colony established on evaporator coil fins, not reachable by general service filter cleaning after targeted diagnosis checks.
Case Details
| Unit | PanasonicWall-mounted |
|---|---|
| Age | 4 years old |
| Location | ShophouseKampong Glam, Singapore |
| Reported | The unit in a small retail shop had a persistent musty, damp smell for weeks. The regular contractor had cleaned the filters twice — the smell went away for a day then returned each time. Replacement had been suggested. |
What We Checked
- Filter was clean — recently washed by the previous contractor.
- Evaporator coil fins had visible grey-green mould growth across the upper third of the surface.
- Mould colony was established deep between the fins where airflow couldn't dry it out.
- Drain tray also had a thin biofilm layer contributing to the smell.
The Diagnosis
Mould had colonised the evaporator coil fins deep between the tightly-spaced aluminium surfaces. In normal operation, the evaporator coil runs cold and draws moisture from the room air — that moisture condenses on the fins and drains into the pan below. But in a ground-floor shophouse with the front door opening frequently, ambient humidity stays high enough that the coil surface never fully dries between operating cycles. This persistent moisture gave mould spores a foothold between the fins where airflow is minimal. Once established, the colony produced the musty smell that the room air carried on every cycle. General servicing only cleaned the filter, which sits in front of the coil — it never contacts the fin surface where the mould was growing.
What Fixed It
We recommended a chemical wash rather than another general service, explaining that the mould colony between the fins could not be reached by surface cleaning. We carried out the wash on the same visit — applying a chemical solution under pressure across the coil face to dissolve and flush the mould from between the fins. The drain tray was scrubbed and flushed separately to remove the biofilm layer. After reassembly, we ran the unit and confirmed that the air coming from the vents was clean. We also suggested the shop owner run fan-only mode for a few minutes after switching off the cooling each day, and schedule a chemical wash every six months given the shophouse humidity levels.
The musty smell was gone after the chemical wash and had not returned after a week. No parts were replaced and the unit did not need swapping.
Why This Happens
Musty smell: filter cleaning vs chemical wash.
- A general service cleans the filter and wipes accessible surfaces. Mould on the evaporator coil sits behind the filter, deep between fins spaced just 1-2mm apart — no cloth or brush can reach it. Only a chemical wash with pressurised solution strips the fin surface clean.
- Musty smell that returns within a few days of servicing almost always points to the coil, not the filter. The filter is a screen — if it is clean and the smell persists, the source is downstream. Ask your technician to open the blower housing and inspect the coil face before scheduling another general service.
- Shophouse and ground-floor retail units are more prone to coil mould because doors open frequently, keeping ambient humidity high. The coil surface never fully dries between cycles, giving mould spores the persistent moisture they need to colonise.
- Running the fan on its own for a few minutes after switching off the cooling helps dry the coil surface and slows mould growth between services. This is especially useful in high-humidity environments where the unit cycles on and off frequently.
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