The Use of UV Lighting to Boost Indoor Air Quality During Winter
As your family spends more time indoors during the winter months, you may be concerned with your indoor air quality. Having optimal indoor air quality ensures everyone remains healthy and safe. Below, we’ll dive into what UV lighting is and how it can boost the quality of air inside your home.
What Is UV Lighting Technology?
UV stands for ultraviolet light, which is a form of electromagnetic radiation. By emitting UV-C light waves at a range of 200 to 280 nanometers, you can achieve germicidal benefits. UV lighting damages the DNA and RNA of microorganisms. This damage renders them unable to reproduce and eventually causes them to die off. Their altered cellular structure makes them harmless in the meantime.
HVAC System Integration
There are two types of UV lights that you can integrate into your HVAC system. This includes coil and air sterilization lights. Coil sanitizing lights are installed near the evaporator coil in your HVAC system and run continuously to prevent mold, mildew, and bacterial growth inside your unit. This is great for not only boosting your indoor air quality but also enhancing system efficiency by keeping your coils clean.
Air sanitizing lights are mounted inside your ductwork or plenum. These lights work to disinfect the air as it flows through the ductwork. They typically only come on whenever your HVAC blower is running. Whether or not coil sanitizing or air sanitizing lights are best for your home depends on the type of HVAC system you have. Our team can help you decide the best product to invest in for your IAQ needs.
Heat Pumps vs. Furnaces
The most popular heating systems in Windsor are heat pumps and furnaces. It’s important to understand how these systems work so you can select the right UV lighting system to meet your needs. If you have a heat pump, coil sanitizing lights are the ideal choice. They provide both better indoor air quality and operating efficiency of your heat pump system due to cleaner coils.
If you have a furnace, coil sanitizing lights won’t work because you don’t have a coil inside the furnace. In these cases, an air sanitizing light that gets placed in your ducting is the ideal choice. It will successfully boost the indoor air quality of all the air that travels through your ducting.
What Pollutants Do UV-C Lights Reduce?
It’s crucial to make the distinction that UV-C lighting doesn’t replace traditional HVAC air filters. Rather, they complement them by removing other particles your filter can’t trap. Filters are great at trapping particles like dust, pollen, and pet dander. UV-C light is better for neutralizing microscopic biological contaminants that your filter can’t easily catch.
Bacteria and Viruses
One of the biggest benefits of using UV lighting is that it destroys the genetic material of bacteria and viruses. This is especially helpful during cold and flu seasons in winter, when airborne pathogens tend to spread more easily in closed indoor environments.
Mold and Mildew Spores
Mold thrives in moist conditions inside your HVAC system. Spores are the particles of the mold that can spread into the air and aggravate allergies and asthma symptoms. UV lighting works to inhibit mold growth on the coils of your system and in your ductwork to prevent its effect on your indoor air quality.
Chemical Pollutants
UV lighting also works to remove certain chemical pollutants from your indoor air. These include volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, and various unpleasant odors. Some specific chemical pollutants that UV lighting can break down include formaldehyde, acetone, smoke residue, and even cooking odors. Combining UV light with a built-in photocatalytic filter will remove more of these unwanted chemical contaminants from your indoor air.
UV Light Maintenance Requirements
With any integration for your HVAC system, UV lights need routine maintenance to function efficiently and effectively. We recommend getting this addressed at the same time as your routine furnace or air conditioner maintenance. Our technicians will ensure that your lighting system is working and replace the bulb as necessary. Most bulbs need to be replaced on an annual basis.
Expert UV Lighting Installation Services
Guaranteed Comfort Heating & Cooling offers expert UV lighting installation services for the Windsor, ON area. We can also assist with all your indoor air quality and HVAC needs. Just call our office today to book your next service consultation with one of our experienced and friendly technicians at Guaranteed Comfort Heating & Cooling in Windsor.