“How effective are UV lights for improving air quality?”
Once the air filtration has been addressed, customers sometimes will ask about a UV light system. When properly installed a UV light can help reduce things like mold, fungus, and bacteria that may build up in a dark moist location like the air conditioning coil. Where a filter picks up particles like dust and pollen; the UV light kills things that can grow. The two combined can work very well together.
It is known that UV light breaks down organic and even inorganic items over time. And UV light systems have been used for years in hospitals and other public spaces to help with sanitizing.
When installed properly at the cooling coil or air handler a UV light bulb can reduce mold, algae, and bacteria that like to grow in such an inviting space. Dark and wet, a cooling coil is exactly where all these things thrive. A constant on UV bulb can and will keep them from breeding.
That is the added benefit to the UV bulb – it is continually on. Unlike a filter which only filters the air when the fan is running. Even if the system isn’t running, a coil is still a dark location with a lot of residual moisture. We want to kill them 24/7 and with a UV light system it will be doing just that.
There are a few styles of UV systems available. Get in touch with us at the office to see what system might be right for you.