A UV light system takes home air purification to the next level. There’s a growing awareness of interior air quality as homes are more tightly sealed for energy efficiency. Airborne contaminants that infiltrate the interior are continuously recirculated by heating and cooling systems. The good news is, some of these pollutants are inorganic particulates like dust that can be removed by high-efficiency filters. The bad news is, other contaminants are living micro-organisms such as mold spores and bacteria. These allergens are not killed by filtering but continue to replicate while circulating inside your ductwork, eventually infecting the tiny passages of your A/C evaporator coil with mold growth. A UV light system installed at the evaporator coil kills mold spores where they accumulate.
Ultraviolet light has long been used for germicidal use in hospitals. Certain wavelengths of UV light destroy microorganisms such as mold by disrupting their DNA. Treating stationary mold at the evaporator coil with a UV light system is the most efficient method of stopping mold in its breeding ground. Here's why this approach to mold reduction makes sense:
- Since all the air in your home passes through the evaporator coil many times per day, the installation of UV lights at the coil offers a whole-house strategy for purifying air.
- Allergic symptoms caused by mold spores that originate at the evaporator coil may be reduced throughout the home. The risk of illnesses from toxic bacteria such as listeria, which thrives well inside an evaporator coil, is also reduced.
- Killing mold at the evaporator coil prevents accumulations that eventually restrict system air flow, decreasing efficiency and reducing the comfort level in your home.
- Stopping the cycle of mold growth at the evaporator coil prevents its further spread downstream into the air handler drip pan. Mold in the drip pan may clog drain lines and cause damaging water overflows.
Joe Behr Plumbing & Heating has kept mid-Ohio homeowners comfortable in all seasons since 1965. Contact us for more information about purifying your indoor air with a UV light system.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Mid-Ohio area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about UV light systems and other HVAC topics, visit our website.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock