need advice-- mold infested air conditioner

[Guest guest]

I think I know the answer to some of my own question, but I am looking

for BTDT experiences and/or referrals to help me.

For those who haven't seen/met me on other lists, I'm a 31 year old

female who was healthy until 3 years ago after the birth of my youngest

child. With his birth, I started experiencing extreme fatigue and

sensitivity to chemicals. We made the mistake of buying a new car a

month after his birth, and I began reacting to that, too. Since then,

we have switched to a chemical-free lifestyle (and I quit driving that

car). However, despite doing everything I am " supposed " to do, my

health has continued to decline. I am now a universal reactor of the

most extreme type. I can not go into public without becoming ill, so I

am homebound. My food allergies have increased. I have no energy.

Doing laundry is a huge accomplishment for me. My husband and kids

have to strip before entering the house and shower multiple times

with " safe " shampoo just so they can be around me. Fibromyalgia has

become a serious problem. My life-long IgE allergies have increased in

severity. Etc., etc., etc. I am among the sickest of the sick, and

the doctors I see who are used to working with folks with MCS/CFS/FM

are at a loss as to what else to do with me since nothing seems to help

and I continue to try to get sick.

Three months after my youngest was born, our upstairs air conditioner

died. It was 14 years old, and we live in Austin, TX, where we use it

11 months of the year. So it was time to replace it rather than do a

$1000 repair. We spent the extra money on a super-efficient air

conditioner thinking it would pay off in the long run. Shortly

afterwards, I started having problems every time the AC came on. We

had the ducts non-chemically cleaned, and that helped. Within the past

year, though, the smell of the AC became awful for me, and every time

it kicked in after having been off for several days, I would have an

asthma attack. Dh had been investigating how to put a UV light in

there, and he has actually purchased it. However, mold FINALLY showed

up in a place we can see on the a/c. He did a home mold test on that

spot, and it came back positive for cladosporium, a mold that is very

common in the air down here per a test we did of the outside air.

However, it shouldn't be growing on our AC unit. Heaven knows what

other assortment of molds are growing inside on the coils.

We have to get a new AC in sooner rather than later. It will be 80

today, and I can't open the windows due to horrible air in my

neighborhood. Cleaning the AC chemically is not an option. I will not

be able to come in the house or use the AC. Besides, the mold will

just grow back. This is a design flaw.

Moving to temporary housing is not an option, so please don't suggest

it. We tried for 18 months, and we can't find anything I can tolerate

that is affordable, large enough for a family of 5 and 2 dogs, or in a

reasonable location for my husband's job. We were working on custom

building, but I can't tolerate many " safe " new materials because I am

so sick. We also just don't have the money to build. We're about $50-

$100K short.

We do have minimal mold insurance (at a cost of $500/yr for something

like $25K coverage); however, as we live in Texas, I am afraid to file

a claim because our insurance rates will skyrocket and/or we will get

dumped from the policy. Texas is very anti-consumer and pro-rich-big

business. Being dumped by a company is VERY common down here.

My instinct is that we should start with a lawyer, not with the company

that installed this poorly designed mold-promoting piece of crap (an

Amana). I feel that Amana should be held responsible for designing

such a faulty AC that grows mold. It is one that does not blow air

over the coils after cycling; it just shuts off allowing the

condensation to mold on the coils. I'm also not pleased with the

company that sold/installed it. It obviously is contributing to my

failure to heal and/or continuing decline.

Anyone who has BTDT and can help me with advice is appreciated. If

anyone knows the name of a good lawyer in Austin who works with those

who have been injured by mold, I would also appreciate that. I'm sick

enough that I can't even open the phone book with out putting on a mask

and gloves! However, I'd rather have an experienced, winning lawyer if

we are going to take on the stress of suing.