If you’re concerned with the quality of air inside your home and how it can affect your family’s health, you’ve likely done some research on air purification devices. One of the most used options is in conjunction with a typical HVAC system. In this article, we’re going to dive into the benefits of UV filtration to improve your home’s indoor air quality level and protect your overall health.
What Is UV Filtration?
Ultraviolet lighting, or UV lighting, can be integrated into your HVAC system to enhance the efficiency of your system’s filtration ability and lead to better air quality. The type of light emitted by these devices is UV-C. This specific light range is very effective at destroying the DNA of pathogens. These include things like bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms.
What Are the Types of UV Lighting Available?
There are two main types of UV lighting that you can add to your existing HVAC system. This includes air-sanitizing and coil sanitizing lights. Air sanitizing UV germicidal lights get placed near the return ducting to treat air before it enters your HVAC system. In most cases, the air sanitizing lights will be wired to the blower motor, where they will turn on and off as your blower motor turns on and off.
Air sanitizing lights tend to be more expensive than coil sanitizing lights, making them the least popular option of the two. Coil sanitizing lights get installed directly above the evaporator coil on your heat pump or central air conditioning system. Evaporator coils tend to create debris and accumulate unwanted mold and mildew growth due to their damp conditions. A coil sanitizing light is effective at preventing mold and mildew growth on your evaporator coil, and it runs 24/7.
Both air sanitizing and coil sanitizing lights need annual maintenance to stay in optimal shape. It’s best to leave this maintenance up to a professional, as UV lighting can be dangerous when not handled correctly. Expect to replace the bulb in your UV light setup once a year for the best results. It’s never a good idea to simply let the bulb run until it blows out, as it will become less effective after that one-year mark.
Reduction of Allergens
Probably one of the most crucial benefits of UV lighting is that it works to strategically reduce the number of allergens in your home. This is great news if you or another family member suffers from asthma, a respiratory condition, or severe allergies. You should experience much fewer flare-ups. UV lighting is known to be effective at treating all types of allergens, including pollen, pet dander, dust mites, and so much more.
Prevention of Nasty Odors
When mold and mildew run rampant inside your HVAC system, they can produce some very nasty odors. Fortunately, when you opt to use UV lighting, it will take care of unwanted mold and mildew. This stops the production of nasty system odors.
Fewer Illnesses
Spending more time indoors during outdoor temperature extremes can pose an increased risk of illness. This is where UV lighting can help by reducing bacteria and viruses that can lead to you and your family becoming sick.
Other Notable Benefits of UV Sanitizing Lighting
UV sanitizing lights can be highly beneficial for keeping the components of your HVAC system in good working order. With cleaner coils and air, there will be fewer airborne particles that accumulate inside your HVAC system. This leads to a longer system lifespan, which means you get more for your money.
Additionally, a cleaner system can operate much more efficiently than a dirty system. The more efficiently your HVAC system operates, the lower your utility bills will be throughout the year. A better operating system is also much less likely to break down, leading to fewer repair costs and fewer interruptions in your service.
Symptoms of Poor Indoor Air Quality
When an air quality assessment of your home shows high levels of known contaminants, it’s cause for concern. Many residents will experience a multitude of symptoms associated with poor indoor air quality. This includes headaches, fatigue, trouble focusing, insomnia, and even irritation in the throat, nose, and eyes.
Those who suffer from asthma, allergies, or respiratory conditions can experience a worsening of their symptoms when in an environment with poor indoor air quality. When you implement the use of UV sanitizing lights in your HVAC system, it can do wonders to reduce these symptoms.
The Danger of Direct UV-C Lighting
It’s vital to realize that UV-C light can be harmful to the human body when received in high doses. When doing the installation and changing out lights on a yearly basis, your HVAC technician will use appropriate hand and eye coverings to protect their body.
Pairing With an Air Filtration System
One of the most effective ways to boost your indoor air quality level is to pair a UV sanitizing light with an air filtration system. The UV-C sanitizing light will take care of damaging the DNA of the various unwanted airborne allergens in your home so they can’t reproduce. A whole-home air filtration system will take care of trapping airborne allergens with a filter. Even using a high-rated MERV air filter inside your HVAC system alongside a UV germicidal light can be very effective at enhancing your indoor air quality level. Just make sure your HVAC system can handle the MERV rating you’ve selected. Most homes benefit from a MERV-rated filter of about eight.
A Note on Duct Cleaning and Sealing Services
It’s important to note that if there are gaps or leaks in your supply ducting, they can allow dust and other airborne particles from your wall and floor cavities to enter your ductwork. This high-pressure air creates a suction-like force that draws in that pesky debris and carries it to the various rooms of your home.
There’s no doubt that this debris entering the treated air delivered to your rooms will reduce your indoor air quality. This can lead to allergy flare-ups and other symptoms associated with bad air quality. One of the best ways to help remedy these leaks and enhance the effectiveness of your UV-C sanitizing lighting is to invest in a duct sealing service. This is where a professional will inspect your entire ductwork system and seal any air leaks that are present.
With no air leaks, you can be assured that all the treated air in your supply ducting has been successfully treated by your UV sanitizing light. Furthermore, it’s highly advisable to invest in duct cleaning service at the same time to remove any debris that has accumulated inside your ducting.
Helpful Indoor Air Quality Service
Honest Home Services LLC offers expert indoor air quality service for the Flower Mound, TX, community. We can also step in for all your heating, cooling, heat pump, commercial, new construction, planning and design, and ductless mini-split needs. We install new equipment, provide emergency repairs, and offer routine maintenance.
Contact our staff today to book a consultation about how to help your family breathe cleaner air.
