During the hot summer or cold winter when you are running the AC or Furnace instead of opening the windows, your air is far more likely to contain more hazardous particulates inside then outside that can make you and your family sick. If you don’t have a way to filter and kill these particulates that are harmful, you could be putting your health at risk. One solution is using UV light to kill the harmful particulates. UV light penetrates at 254 nanometers wavelength penetrates the nucleus and destroys the Nuclei of the mold and bacteria rendering it unable to reproduce and useless. The lights used in HVAC systems are UV-C lights meaning they operate at the C frequency on the spectrum and is between 200-285 nanometers in size. There are a couple different set ups for the UV lights in the HVAC system. One they put in the return air handlers and it kills mold and bacteria as it passes through the light. Another option is to put it directly over the coil which is the perfect breeding ground for the mold and bacteria because it is moist and warm in there. Out of those two options, it is best to use the coil option because in the returns the air moves to fast through the light to most effectively kill the particulates. One last option you have if you dont have a duct system is the portable UV system. Like anything there are pros and cons to UV light disinfection.
Pros to the UV system
UV lighting has a 99% effective rate at killing mold and bacteria if the air passes through it slowly enough
It can be energy saving by using the UV and filter systems to catch more dust making it run more efficiently and saves money on bills
UV light kills airborne bacteria, mold, mildew ect
UV disinfection reduces infectious airborne organisms to non harmful levels
Cons to the UV system
Dust quickly builds up on the UV bulb so it needs to be cleaned often to ensure its effectiveness and with UV light being harmful to humans, make sure the system is off before you maintain it
UV light is great against mold mildew bacteria but not very effective with viruses
UV light does not filter air, it just kills off the particulates so you need to use filters still
UV bulbs are short lived and need to be replaced yearly
-The final thing in deciding that can be a pro for some and a con for others is the cost. They system itself ranges in price form $300-$600 with replacement bulbs costing anywhere from $120-$250.
UV systems are effective against killing harmful bacteria, mold, mildew, ect and can benefit your family in a healthy way. Call Bartlett Heating and Air today to discuss what options are best for you.
