UV Lights: An Out-of-Sight Option for Improved Indoor Air Quality
UV Lights: An Out-of-Sight Option for Improved Indoor Air Quality
Improving indoor air quality is a hot topic these days, and it's no wonder – the air inside many homes and buildings is usually far more contaminated than the air outside. There could be harmful levels of mold, fungus, bacteria, germs and viruses in your home at any given time. You may not even know about it, but exposure to such pollutants can easily threaten your health. And, if anyone in your house has allergies or respiratory issues such as COPD or asthma, they are even more susceptible to the ill effects of breathing dirty air. One of the most effective ways to combat these indoor airborne contaminants is with the use of UV lights. Learn more about how they work and why having a system installed in your home can add a potent weapon in your arsenal for purifying your air.
UV Lights and Your HVAC System
Your HVAC system can provide the ideal breeding ground for nasty things like mold and bacteria, particularly in the moist area around the indoor coil and condensate pan. This means that whenever you're heating or cooling your house, those toxins are being released into your breathing space. Airflow is also restricted when contaminants are left to build up in your HVAC system. This puts added strain on your equipment and also makes it less efficient. Though you're unable to see it, a UV light's wavelength serves as powerful killer of organic pollutants in your home, including mold, bacteria and viruses. A UV light system can be installed in your ductwork, treating all the air that flows through the ducts, or it can be installed to shine directly on the indoor coil and condensate pan, places where mold and bacteria find a hospitable environment. There are many types of UV light systems, but they are typically available as either a single-lamp or a two-lamp system. A single-lamp system will only protect your HVAC components; for effective airstream sanitation, a two-lamp system is recommended.Care Tips
- Bulbs should be changed annually for optimal airstream cleaning.
- When HVAC component protection is the goal, bulbs can be changed every two years.
- The system should be turned off if bulbs haven't been changed within three years.
