黑料社区

When you聽hear the phrase聽ultraviolet light, you聽might聽think of聽getting sunburned after聽spending a day聽at the pool.聽Having said that, UV light is also聽a strategy for聽enhancing聽indoor air quality. Sunscreen聽defends聽against UVA and UVB rays, but UVC is the聽form聽of light聽used聽in air purification. If you聽struggle with聽allergies or asthma or聽hope聽to聽reduce聽the聽distribution聽of illnesses聽around聽your home,聽a UV light聽installed in your聽HVAC system聽can聽be the air quality solution you’ve been聽hoping for!

How Does a UV Light聽Function?

The germicidal聽influences聽of ultraviolet light have been聽recognized聽for聽more than 100 years. UVC rays were聽originally聽applied聽to treat tuberculosis.聽Today, germicidal lamps are聽implemented聽in hospitals, food processing聽facilities, water treatment plants and air purification聽equipment.

A UV lamp聽added to聽your HVAC聽system聽improves聽the air quality in your home by聽wiping out聽microorganisms聽like聽bacteria, viruses, mold and more. It聽generally聽takes聽10 seconds of contact to聽affect聽these germs’ DNA, killing them or聽stopping聽them from replicating.

UV lights also聽combat聽volatile organic compounds (VOCs)聽found in聽cleaners and repellents聽alongside聽airborne bioaerosols聽such as聽pollen and pet dander.聽That being said, UV lights don’t聽physically聽‘trap’ contaminants, so you still聽require聽an聽air filtration system聽to聽extract聽dust, fibers and other particles from聽your home's air supply.

How聽Powerful聽Are UV Lights?

Provided聽they are installed聽correctly聽and聽feature聽the right wavelength of UV light, germicidal lamps are聽remarkably聽effective at聽enhancing聽indoor air quality.聽聽completed by聽Duke University聽found聽that UV light聽eliminated聽more than 97 percent of drug-resistant bacteria from the air in hospital rooms.聽聽revealed聽“significantly lower” fungal levels聽inside聽a commercial聽property's聽HVAC聽system聽after four months of聽operating聽a UV light.

Benefits of UV Lights

Place聽an ultraviolet lamp in your HVAC system to聽make the most of聽these benefits:

• Cleaner indoor air:聽UV light technology聽sanitizes聽the air聽24 hours a day聽without聽dispersing聽chemicals into the environment.聽As opposed to聽certain聽air purifiers, ultraviolet lamps don’t聽create聽ozone,聽an infamous聽lung irritant that聽can be聽toxic聽to聽people聽with asthma, allergies or聽prolonged聽lung聽diseases.
• Decreased聽likelihood聽of getting sick:聽When used in tandem with聽good personal hygiene, germ-killing UV聽lamps聽can聽reduce聽the聽risk聽of聽catching聽viral and bacterial infections.
• Stronger protection聽for your HVAC system:聽Mold, fungi and bacteria can聽negatively impact聽your heating and cooling equipment. Keep the system聽operating聽reliably聽and efficiently with a聽quality聽UV light.
• Reduced聽HVAC maintenance and repair聽needs:聽With an inherently cleaner central HVAC system, you enjoy聽simpler聽maintenance requirements and聽minimal need for聽emergency repairs. These savings can help聽counter聽the cost of聽using聽a UV light and replacing the bulb.

Where Do UV Lights Get Installed?

If you聽decide on聽an air-sanitizing UV light, your聽installation technician聽should聽position it聽in聽your ductwork near the HVAC system. There, the lamp聽affects聽the air before it聽flows聽throughout聽your home.

If you聽choose聽a coil-sanitizing UV light, it聽should聽sit聽around聽the AC evaporator coil. There, it聽affects聽mold and bacteria that聽grow on聽the damp coil, keeping your system clean and operating smoothly.

Are UV Lights Safe?

The sun聽continuously聽produces聽invisible UV radiation.聽As you probably know, UVA and UVB rays can聽burn聽your skin, so it’s聽important聽to聽wear聽a broad-spectrum聽sunscreen when聽enjoying time聽outdoors. The sun also聽produces聽UVC rays, the most聽harming聽variant聽of solar radiation capable of killing microorganisms and irritating other living tissue,聽particularly聽the skin and eyes.

Thankfully, the atmosphere聽eliminates聽these rays聽altogether, so they don’t聽make it to聽the earth’s surface.

Knowing that聽UVC rays are聽hazardous, why should you feel聽alright with聽installing a UVC light in your聽home? It’s simple—the light is聽limited聽to聽your聽ductwork where you聽can't聽come in contact with it, so it聽presents聽no risk to you and your family. When the time comes to聽clean聽the lamp or聽change聽the bulb, your HVAC technician will聽turn off聽the system聽for a short time聽to聽prevent聽exposure聽to the damaging light.

How Long Do UV Lights Last?

UV lights聽run聽around the clock聽and聽usually聽last nine to 14 months.聽Routine聽HVAC maintenance (once in the spring for your聽air conditioner聽and again in the fall for your聽furnace) is the聽perfect聽time to have these bulbs聽examined聽and聽replaced聽when necessary.

Schedule聽UV Light Installation

聽offers聽a聽range聽of air quality solutions, including UV lights for HVAC systems. We would be聽happy聽to聽assess聽your home and your family’s needs to聽suggest聽the聽equipment聽that聽will work best聽for you.聽Rest easy knowing聽that all work we聽complete聽is backed by a one-year 黑料社区 Guarantee.聽Reach out to聽your local 黑料社区 office聽to schedule UV light installation or request a聽free home health consultation today.