If you’re looking to improve your home’s indoor air quality, you have several options for air quality devices. There are basic filters and room air purifiers you can purchase from stores, but these rarely offer much improvement. The best route is to contact a professional HVAC contractor who works with specialized air quality equipment, such as air filtration and air purification systems, humidity controls, and heat recovery ventilators (HRVs).
One air cleaning option is the UV air purifier, also known as a UV germicidal light. We offer service to install UV germicidal lights and can answer any questions you might have about them. We’ll address a few of the main questions below to give you a better idea of what UV purification systems do and if you need one.
The Power of UV Radiation
A UV air purifier uses an ultraviolet lamp to send out waves of UV radiation. These rays are harmful to organic tissue. This is why your skin burns due to too much sun exposure (the sun is a source of UV radiation) and why sunglasses have UV protection.
The radiation from a UV air purifier is potent enough to disrupt the cellular structure of harmful organic pollutants, including microbes, viruses, germs, bacteria, and mold spores. This cellular damage will either kill the pollutants outright or make them inert and harmless.
A UV Air Purifier in an HVAC System
When you arrange to have a UV air purifier installed, the technicians integrate the lights into the HVAC system so they shine onto the evaporator coil of the air conditioner. This is a point where all air moving through the HVAC system must pass, whether for heating, cooling, or air circulation. The rays not only kill or make harmless the organic pollutants, they prevent mold from developing along the moist evaporator coil. This keeps the AC running at high efficiency and prevents the “dirty sock syndrome” of horribly moldy smells from permeating the house.
This Is a Safe Method of Air Cleaning
Since UV rays are harmful to organic tissue, can a UV germicidal light be harmful to people and pets in a household? The answer is no. These lights are powerful enough to remove small pollutants, but not powerful enough to harm people. They’re no more dangerous than the UV lights used at music concerts or amusement park dark rides to make people’s clothes glow. Besides, a UV air purifier is hidden away in the ducts where nobody can even see the light from it.
Do You Need a UV Air Purifier?
If your home has problems with mold and bacteria, or you have concerns about the spread of illness through the ductwork, then a UV air purifier may be right for your needs. You can always call us for help finding out what IAQ solutions are the best for your home. In some situations, standard filters will do the job. In other cases, UV germicidal lights in Courtenay, BC as additions to the filters are necessary. We’ll provide you with an honest assessment of your IAQ needs and then meet them with the right installations.
Temprite Climate Solutions serves Courtenay, BC and the surrounding areas. For a job done right, call Temprite!