Case Studies

Overview:

Despite every effort to create a clean, healthy home, one family continued to suffer from unexplained allergy symptoms. The crawlspace was encapsulated, the HVAC system was new, and humidity levels were controlled - yet the sneezing, coughing, and irritation persisted. With the help of AirGuard, they uncovered the true source hiding in plain sight: mold in their ductwork.

The Challenge: Mold Symptoms Without a Mold Problem?

The homeowners had taken every proactive step recommended to keep their home mold-free:

• Fully encapsulated crawlspace
• New HVAC system installed 
• Moisture levels consistently under control
• Air filters regularly replaced

Yet their family continued to experience respiratory issues - congestion, fatigue, and chronic allergic reactions. They had ruled out pets, seasonal allergens, and even food. What remained was a frustrating and mysterious health concern.

The Turning Point: AirGuard’s Mold Monitoring Was the Missing Link

After hearing about AirGuard, they installed the monitor in the crawlspace, expecting it might detect hidden mold or excessive humidity there.

But the results were surprising:

 ✅ Humidity? Normal.

 ✅ Mold risk? Low.

 ✅ Air quality in the crawlspace? Within healthy range.

That’s when they decided to move the AirGuard unit into the main living space, and eventually, directly into the return vent of their air duct system.

Within hours, AirGuard sent an alert:

 "Critical Alert: AirGuard has detected a greater than 90% probability of the presence of mold. It is recommended to confirm with a certified inspector."

The Discovery: A Hidden Contaminant in Clean Air Ducts

Upon inspection, their HVAC technician dismantled a portion of the ductwork - and what they found was alarming:

• Visible mold coating inner duct surfaces
• High spore buildup in bends and branch lines
• Mold verified with lab testing

Despite having a new HVAC system, the existing ductwork had never been replaced, and its interior was now a breeding ground for mold spores being circulated through the home.

The Solution: Replacing the Ductwork for a Fresh Start

The family moved quickly:

1. Full duct system removal — every line was pulled out and discarded.
2. New, sealed ductwork installed.
3. System-wide sanitization — the HVAC unit and vents were cleaned.
4. AirGuard redeployed — to monitor post-remediation air quality in multiple rooms.

Within days of the installation, symptoms began to subside. Within weeks, they reported no more allergy flare-ups in the home - and AirGuard continued to report healthy air and no signs of mold.

The Outcome: Breathing Easy at Last

This family learned a powerful lesson:

Even when you do everything right, invisible threats can linger - unless you have the right tools to detect them.

Thanks to AirGuard’s precision monitoring and flexible deployment, they uncovered a source of illness that even visual inspections and HVAC upgrades missed.

Key Results:

• Mold source identified in ductwork—not crawlspace
• Entire duct system replaced
• Verified clean air with ongoing AirGuard use

Conclusion: Prevention Alone Isn’t Always Enough

Encapsulating crawlspaces and upgrading HVAC equipment are smart preventative steps, but they don't guarantee a healthy home. Without continuous monitoring, invisible mold can still threaten your family’s well-being.

AirGuard bridges the gap between prevention and detection - so you can stop guessing, and start breathing easy.

The Problem: The House Was Speaking - And Not in a Good Way

When a Greenville, South Carolina family started noticing strange creaking noises and a suspicious softness in their living room floor, they assumed it was just normal aging in their 40-year-old home. But as the weeks went by, the squeaks grew louder, and the floor began to feel noticeably unstable underfoot. Something wasn't right.

At first glance, there were no obvious leaks, visible mold, or plumbing issues. But the creeping feeling that the house was trying to tell them something just wouldn’t go away.

The AirGuard Alert That Changed Everything

Fortunately, the family had recently installed an AirGuard device - a smart indoor air quality monitor that not only tracks humidity and temperature, but also monitors mold risk in the home’s structure, including crawlspaces.

That’s when they received a critical alert:

 "AirGuard has detected a greater than 90% probability of the presence of mold. It is recommended to confirm with a certified inspector."

This was the first real clue that something was wrong beneath the surface.

Investigation & Findings: A Hidden Moisture Problem

After receiving the alert, the homeowners contacted a local HVAC company and a mold professional to inspect and test the crawlspace. What they found confirmed AirGuard's warning:

• Air testing revealed high levels of cladosporium and visible surface mold was found on joists and insulation.
• Humidity levels were consistently above 70%.
• The sump pumps were installed poorly and had stopped working.
• Minimal air circulation meant moisture was trapped under the home.
• Wood framing near the floor was beginning to soften and flex.

Had this continued for another season, the repairs could have escalated to include subfloor replacement and mold remediation throughout the entire home.

The Solution: Quick Action, Lasting Impact

With AirGuard providing ongoing environmental monitoring, the remediation team took a multi-step approach:

1. Dehumidification – A crawlspace-grade dehumidifier was installed and tied into the HVAC system.
2. Sump Pump Replacement – The old pumps were removed and replaced. 
3. Mold Treatment – A targeted mold-cleaning agent was applied to all affected joists and surfaces.
4. AirGuard Monitoring – Real-time tracking continued to verify improvements in humidity and air quality.

The Results: Restored Floors and Peace of Mind

Within two weeks, the floor began to feel more stable, and creaking diminished significantly. Most importantly, AirGuard reported:

• Crawlspace humidity reduced from 70% to 48%
• No active mold detected
• Predicted mold risk returned to “NORMAL”

The family avoided thousands of dollars in potential structural damage - and gained confidence that their home was being proactively protected.

Why This Case Matters

This case shows how environmental problems in hidden spaces like crawlspaces or basements can quietly threaten a home's structural integrity. But with smart monitoring and early detection, homeowners can take action before damage becomes expensive - or irreversible.

AirGuard doesn’t just protect your air. It protects your home.

Overview:

Even with the best precautions in place, sometimes the unexpected still sneaks in. For one vigilant homeowner with a history of mold sensitivity, recurring high humidity alerts from AirGuard didn’t add up - until she discovered the problem wasn’t in her crawlspace at all, but in her laundry room wall. This case shows how real-time monitoring and trend tracking helped prevent a potential health hazard.

The Problem: Unexpected Humidity in a “Protected” Home

This homeowner had taken every recommended step to ensure her crawlspace stayed dry and mold-free:

• Full crawlspace encapsulation
• A properly installed and functioning dehumidifier
• Routine maintenance and inspection of her HVAC system
• A strong awareness of the risks posed by indoor mold, due to personal health sensitivities

So when her AirGuard monitor began sending repeated high humidity alerts from the crawlspace, she was puzzled - and more than a little concerned. The encapsulation was intact. The dehumidifier was working. Conditions should have been perfect. Yet the data told a different story.

The Breakthrough: Connecting the Dots Through Trend Analysis

Instead of ignoring the alerts, the homeowner began digging into the AirGuard app’s trend graphs, reviewing the spikes in humidity over time.

That’s when she noticed a strange pattern:

Humidity rose sharply every time she did laundry.

She hadn’t noticed anything unusual - no standing water, no strange smells - but the correlation was too strong to ignore. She called in a plumber to investigate.

The Discovery: Two Hidden Leaks—One Visible to AirGuard, the Other Behind a Wall

The plumber’s inspection revealed two hidden leaks:

1. A slow leak from the washing machine water supply line was seeping into the crawlspace through a cracked pipe.
2. A hidden plumbing leak behind the laundry room wall was saturating insulation and drywall - but not yet visible from inside the home.

Because the crawlspace was encapsulated, the water had nowhere to escape or evaporate - leading to trapped moisture and rising humidity levels that only AirGuard could detect.

The Solution: Early Intervention Prevents Mold Growth

With the leaks located, the homeowner quickly took action and had the leaks repaired. The AirGuard was left in place to continue monitoring for any residual moisture or signs of mold risk.

Thanks to the early warning, the entire incident was resolved before any mold growth occurred - something that was especially important given the homeowner’s mold sensitivity.

The Outcome: Problem Solved, Health Protected

Because she took the alerts seriously and paid attention to trends, this homeowner caught a leak that could have gone undetected for months. In homes without monitoring, that kind of hidden moisture often leads to expensive structural damage and dangerous indoor air quality.

But with AirGuard, she had a silent partner watching the environment for her—24/7.

Key Results:

• ✅ Humidity spike correlated with laundry use
• ✅ Two hidden plumbing leaks identified and fixed
• ✅ No mold growth, no health symptoms
• ✅ Ongoing confidence in indoor air quality with AirGuard monitoring

Conclusion: Sometimes, the Threat Isn’t Where You Expect It

When it comes to indoor air quality and moisture control, even the most protected homes can experience issues. The difference is whether or not you know about them in time to do something.

AirGuard didn’t just spot high humidity - it gave this homeowner the insight to connect the dots and take action early.