Advice for mold in air handler closet

[BradyBlue]

I very much respect the opinions of the posters in this forum so I am asking for some advice...I just purchased a home in South Florida. There is visible mold on the drywall behind the air handler in a hall closet. We are planning to have the unit removed and cleaned. Furthermore, we are planning to have the affected drywall removed and replaced. We've been told that the mold is from the airhandler sweating onto the drywall since it's a very tight space.

I'm afraid that putting the unit back in the new closet will create the same condition and that we will have another mold situation in a few years.

Is there anything we can do to prevent this from recurring? Is there something we can do to the unit or the drywall to prevent mold from growing again?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I value the knowledge in this forum!

[bribone]

I would make sure green board was installed instead of drywall. It's made for moist enviroments. Also putting a grill hi and low on the door for air circulation.

[beenthere]

If its a closet inside the conditioned area.
Then vents as suggested above. Either in the door, or the wall.

[t527ed]

not sure who makes it but there is a sheetrock that is for wet areas that uses NO paper, thats what i would use.

if any mold inside blower coil i would trash that to.

[teddy bear]

Focus on preventing condensation and continuous high humidity. Damp dust on any surface will grow mold, including steel and glass. Any material touching a cold surface may have condensation while cold. As coils condense moisture but do not grow mold because the dust is washed down the drain, other surfaces do not wash themselves.
Provide clearences between air handler and the drywall. Have a couple hours of blower operation everyday to dryout the entire airhandler and all surrounding areas. Monitor your %RH in all areas within the home. Maintain <50%RH during the non-heating season. For indoor air quality provide enough fresh air throughout the year to purge indoor pollutants and renew oxygen. During cool wet times of the year in green grass climates, you will need supplemental dehumidification to provide the basics for indoor air quality. Regard TB