What are the issues?
As a home inspector I see Lennox air handler issues quite often. These are not issues in regards to performance or efficiency as I am not in the correct profession to determine those. The issues I see are with the design itself on some of the most recent models. The issue I am referring to is with the insulation material on the top panel. Lennox chose to use a open faced insulation which seems to trap moisture and dust. Both of these make a great place for microbial growth(mold) to grow. The top panel is the only one in the cabinet with this type of insulation, the other panels are all foil faced fiberglass. You can see the photos below which shows microbial growth. Being that it’s inside the air handler its a big issue since it gets distributed throughout the home.
How can we fix this?
I am not sure why Lennox decided to use this type of insulation only on this one panel and not the rest. Other manufacturers like Carrier, Trane, Goodman all use standard foil faced insulation throughout the cabinet. But you are not out of luck if you have a Lennox. There are companies that sell sheets of insulation that you can use to fix your Lennox air handler issues. You definitely will want to replace the insulation and not just remove it since it will cause condensation to form on the outside of the cabinet. Keeping microbial growth out of your hvac system is very important especially if you are someone who is sensitive to mold. If you would like one of our inspectors to inspect your air handler you can feel free to give us a call at 407-633-1661 or visit our website.