For almost two years now, there’s been an intense focus on how to stay as healthy as possible while isolating at home–or at least staying home a lot more than we have in previous years! As a result, more and more homeowners are thinking about their indoor air quality. Even pre-pandemic, the average home without the right indoor air quality systems and services in place could have worse indoor air quality than outdoor air quality.
If you haven’t already done so, you’d do well to consider the installation of a whole-house UV air purifier. Also referred to as UV lights or even UV germicidal lights, these indoor air quality systems are key to helping homeowners breathe healthier, or at least metaphorically “breathe easier” at home, knowing they’re well protected. Read on to learn more!
How Does a UV Light Work?
UV lights/UV air purifiers are designed to use a specific wavelength of light, which is absorbed by the DNA of microorganisms. What microorganisms are those? Things like mold, mildew, other bacteria, and even viruses. The UV light does not kill these microorganisms immediate, however, it nullified their ability to cause harm to people (or pets!) living in the home and shortens the lifespan of these germs, too.
Why Install a UV Light in the HVAC System?
There are many different types of air purifiers on the market. The traditional electronic air purifier draws particles from the indoor air in your home into the system. What this means is that it helps clear your air of dust, allergens, VOCs, and household cleaning fumes. It doesn’t do much to address the microorganisms inside your ductwork though, that haven’t had the chance to reach your indoor air (yet).
Before the air is circulated into your home through room vents, it flows through the ductwork. So if there is a UV light installed (in the ductwork, more on that below!), then the air has to go over the light before entering your home, therefore making your household a lot less likely to get sick from mold spores or viruses that may have been lurking in the cool, damp environment of your ductwork.
Are There Any Limits of UV Lights?
Yes, and this is important to know! The reason there are so many different types of air purifiers on the market is because they each serve different purposes. While as we mentioned above, a traditional air purifier will pull contaminants like allergens out of the air, a UV air purifier cannot do anything about dust or pollen that may infiltrate your home.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have UV lights installed! It simply means that your UV light may be a supplement to your indoor air quality needs versus the silver bullet that fixes everything.
How Is a UV Light Installed?
First, it’s important that you only ever have a trained and qualified professional do this installation. The UV light gets wired into the HVAC evaporating unit, and therefore only activates when the system is operating, which is when it’s needed. Therefore, it’s inside your HVAC system, out of sight and out of mind, silently and effectively doing its job!
When you need a reliable HVAC company in Cartersville, GA, you don’t have to look any further than Dayco Systems. Contact us today for excellent indoor air quality services and more!
