Black Mold Infected Downspout Threads in Bathtub - Advice Please!

I recently moved to condo that had black specks around drain in bathtub. I= determined it was Black Mold. It was so bad I decided to replace the whole= drain. After removing the drain I noticed the installer used putty to coa= t the plastic threads and as a ring seal. This putty failed and set up a c= ozy home for the black mold to launch an attack on the whole drain. Well, = I am having real trouble cleaning the black mold off the plastic tub thread= s and wonder if the mold may have damaged the threads. Should I just repla= ce the whole tub? Looking for experienced advice. Thanks much! -- Alex

Reply to
earthbased
Loading thread data ...

=A0I determined it was Black Mold. It was so bad I decided to replace the w= hole drain. =A0After removing the drain I noticed the installer used putty = to coat the plastic threads and as a ring seal. =A0This putty failed and se= t up a cozy home for the black mold to launch an attack on the whole drain.= =A0Well, I am having real trouble cleaning the black mold off the plastic = tub threads and wonder if the mold may have damaged the threads. =A0Should = I just replace the whole tub? =A0Looking for experienced advice. =A0Thanks = much! =A0-- Alex

I can't imagine replacing an entire tub just because of mold on some threads.

Killing the mold with bleach shouldn't be a problem, even if some discoloration remains.

BTW..are you sure that the tub itself is threaded? I've repaired and/ or replaced a few tubs and tub drains and I don't think I've ever seen a tub that was threaded. Usually the fixtures are threaded and are secured with a large nut after being inserted into a non-threaded hole. I'm not saying threaded tubs don't exist, I'm simply saving I've never seen one.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

. =A0I determined it was Black Mold. It was so bad I decided to replace the= whole drain. =A0After removing the drain I noticed the installer used putt= y to coat the plastic threads and as a ring seal. =A0This putty failed and = set up a cozy home for the black mold to launch an attack on the whole drai= n. =A0Well, I am having real trouble cleaning the black mold off the plasti= c tub threads and wonder if the mold may have damaged the threads. =A0Shoul= d I just replace the whole tub? =A0Looking for experienced advice. =A0Thank= s much! =A0-- Alex

Now that I look closer it is a fixture thread bolted from bottom. The rub= ber is black (why would they use a black washer???). Looks like I got most= of the Black Mold. Will give the threads another bleach application.

Thanks!

Reply to
earthbased

ub. =A0I determined it was Black Mold. It was so bad I decided to replace t= he whole drain. =A0After removing the drain I noticed the installer used pu= tty to coat the plastic threads and as a ring seal. =A0This putty failed an= d set up a cozy home for the black mold to launch an attack on the whole dr= ain. =A0Well, I am having real trouble cleaning the black mold off the plas= tic tub threads and wonder if the mold may have damaged the threads. =A0Sho= uld I just replace the whole tub? =A0Looking for experienced advice. =A0Tha= nks much! =A0-- Alex

rubber is black (why would they use a black washer???). =A0Looks like I go= t most of the Black Mold. =A0Will give the threads another bleach applicati= on.

Unless you are paranoid, or drink water out of the bathtub, who worries about mold on a drain that is below the working portion of a bathtub? Either there is water going down the drain, or the drain is closed and the tub is filling up, or the drain is closed and the tub is empty. The mold isn't going to jump up out of the tub!!!!

Reply to
hrhofmann

Earthbased:

To be honest, I think the fear of "Black Mold" is more driven by money than it is by anything else. As long as people are willing to pay big bucks to eliminate black mold from their homes, there will be people overstating the potential health problems those molds can cause to keep that money rolling in.

Yes, you can get really sick, have internal organs fail or even die from ingesting "mycotoxins" from certain kinds of fungii, but those kinds of health problems only happen when you ingest huge amounts of those mycotoxins, and that usually means eating the wrong kind of mushrooms.

There's lots of people that have molds growing all over their basement and bathroom walls, and never give it a second thought. I wouldn't worry about any black stuff you see growing in the wet areas of your new condo unless you have good solid reason to suspect that it's affecting your health.

Reply to
nestork

=A0I determined it was Black Mold. It was so bad I decided to replace the w= hole drain. =A0After removing the drain I noticed the installer used putty = to coat the plastic threads and as a ring seal. =A0This putty failed and se= t up a cozy home for the black mold to launch an attack on the whole drain.= =A0Well, I am having real trouble cleaning the black mold off the plastic = tub threads and wonder if the mold may have damaged the threads. =A0Should = I just replace the whole tub? =A0Looking for experienced advice. =A0Thanks = much! =A0-- Alex

It is my understanding that the dangerous 'black mold' actually appears green. You should test the mold. It may be more benign then you're thinking.

Plus, bleach the hell out of everything.

Reply to
Robert Macy

Seriously? Why not just burn the whole place down if you're that paranoid?

Reply to
dennisgauge

I think we're being put on by the same guy that says he washes all his light bulbs twice a year.

Reply to
Dan Espen

:

I agree. Anybody that says they only wash their light bulbs twice a year is either a slob or a troll.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Now that was funny.

Reply to
krw

On Wed, 24 Oct 2012 08:13:08 -0700 (PDT), snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote in Re Re: Black Mold Infected Downspout Threads in Bathtub - Advice Please!:

Really! Or at least spend several thousand $$ to get a pro in to do a proper cleanup.

Reply to
CRNG

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.