Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky homeowners want to keep their families as healthy as possible over the winter season. When illnesses seem to spread like wildfire this time of year, adding indoor air quality products to your home can make a big difference. Air purification systems using ultraviolet light are said to help control viruses and bacteria in the air, but do UV air purifiers work? Rusk Heating and Cooling is here to assure you they do, explain how they work, and share their many benefits.
How Do UV Air Purifiers Work?
UV air purifiers are a type of indoor air quality device that uses ultraviolet short-wave (UV-C) light to neutralize pathogens and microorganisms floating in the home’s air supply. This type of air filtration system looks like a lamp. It is installed directly within the home’s HVAC system so they can treat all air circulating throughout the home.
As airborne pathogens and microbes pass under the UV air purifier, contact with UV-C energy irradiates these microorganisms. The contaminant’s DNA is destroyed so the pathogen or microbe is no longer able to reproduce and is effectively dead. By destroying these particles, the air is disinfected and purified by the UV light air purifiers inside the HVAC system. While the particulate matter is not removed from the air supply by this device, these particles can no longer cause harm on contact inside the home.
What do UV air purifiers work against? These lights can be used to neutralize airborne matter including:
- Viruses
- Bacteria
- Mold
- Fungi
- Pollen
- Pet Dander
Benefits of UV Air Purifier Installation
In addition to questions about how UV air purifiers work, homeowners also want to know if this UV light technology is safe before installing it in their homes. Hospitals have long used this same air purification technology to disinfect rooms and prevent the spread of illness, treating tuberculosis throughout history and even COVID-19 in modern times.
Not only are UV air purifiers effective against airborne particles that can make you sick, but they can also remove other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the home’s air supply. Odor-causing pollutants are also neutralized upon contact with the air purifier’s UV-C light energy. Installing a UV light air purifier can help rid your home of lingering odors from smoking, cooking, and the use of household cleaners and air fresheners.
By cleaning the air supply of these pathogens, do UV light air purifiers work to keep your HVAC equipment clean, too? The answer is yes! Mold growth is common inside cooling systems as the dark, damp environment full of organic matter is a perfect home for mold to thrive and reproduce. By neutralizing mold spores in the air, UV lights can prevent this harmful growth inside your HVAC system so you don’t suffer from reduced energy efficiency or damage to your unit.
Do UV air purifiers work with high energy consumption? No, these products are very energy efficient and don’t consume much electricity at all. Depending on the wattage of the bulbs installed, it can cost a few cents per day to a few dollars per week to power UV C air purifiers.
Also, most UV air purifiers require very little maintenance! The UB lights for your system last one to three years and can be changed by your HVAC technician during regular heating and cooling system maintenance visits. Once they are installed, there is nothing you have to do to operate them.
UV Air Purifier Installation in Cincinnati
Installing UV air purifiers in your home’s HVAC system can be incredibly beneficial for your family. Rusk Heating and Cooling install UV light air purifiers in homes across the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky areas. Call us today to request a quote for UV air purifier installation.