Does Germicidal UV Lights Work in a Heat Pump
- Butch Erskine
- Feb 27, 2020
- 4 min read
Fellow Patriots,
With the Coronavirus spreading across the globe and so many unknowns remain, one of our Patriot sisters emailed me to ask about the use of a germicidal ultraviolent light in a heat pump system to help protect a home.
One may ask, does UV lights work in HVAC systems. Yes and no. While HVAC UV lights are effective for killing mold, bacteria, germs and odors, make sure you have completed the indoor air quality basics. Install high-MERV filters, but be sure your HVAC system is designed for the higher static pressure of better filtration.
Here's some suggested UV lights to install in your HVAC...
- OdorStop UV Light Sanitizer for HVAC
- Honeywell UV Light Air Treatment System
- Pureuv 24 volt UV Light Air Treatment System
- D200 UV Light System for HVAC
- Bio-Shield Air Sanitizer UV Light
In most cases, the UV light placement is determined by your needs and the system you choose. It may be installed directly in the air handler, the air return or in strategic areas throughout the ductwork. You can use more than one as an option. The price range depends on the size, quality and brand you choose. In my review I found an average range of $400 - $800 but some are lower and a few are higher. It also depends on the size and method you opt to purchase.
Here is an informative article I located that provides some quality information on the question and topic. Hope this answers any questions.
By Anissa Villegas - Air Now HVAC - https://www.airnowhvac.com/ac-unit-need-uv-germicidal-lights/
Does Your AC Unit Need UV Germicidal Lights?
How to Choose The Best Air Purifier.
Using ultraviolet (UV) light to treat tuberculosis won Niels Finsen a Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1903. Now, UV lights are used to sanitize everything from hospital rooms and HVAC equipment to drinking water. UV light destroy microbes in air conditioners. The lights are installed in your ductwork or near the AC coil, and they destroy microbes like mold, bacteria, fungi, mildew, mold spores and viruses in the line-of-sight of the UV bulb.
The bulbs are easy to install: your HVAC service technician will typically mount one near the AC coil with a magnet. Maintenance is also easy: Just change the bulb when it burns out. Bulbs typically last for 12 months, and the energy usage costs about $2 per month.
Using ultraviolet (UV) light to treat tuberculosis won Niels Finsen a Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1903. Now, UV lights are used to sanitize everything from hospital rooms and HVAC equipment to drinking water. UV light destroy microbes in air conditioners. The lights are installed in your ductwork or near the AC coil, and they destroy microbes like mold, bacteria, fungi, mildew, mold spores and viruses in the line-of-sight of the UV bulb.
The bulbs are easy to install: your HVAC service technician will typically mount one near the AC coil with a magnet. Maintenance is also easy: Just change the bulb when it burns out. Bulbs typically last for 12 months, and the energy usage costs about $2 per month.
UV Lights: Two Types of Air Purifier Systems
The lights destroy microbes in two different ways: as air conditioner cleaners and as air purifiers. A UV air conditioner cleaner is shaped like a stick, always turned on, and placed in the AC's return air duct to keep the coil free of microbes. A UV air purifier is also installed in the return air duct, but it turns on whenever the AC blower turns on and cleans moving air as it passes by.
Are UV Lights Effective Air Cleaners?
UV lights are thought to kill microbes by damaging their DNA, although research about their effectiveness in residential settings is limited. However, a 2012 Duke University Medical Center study found that UV lights eliminated 97 percent of drug-resistant bacteria from 50 hospital rooms. Another study published in the Journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology found that after using UV lights in a commercial HVAC air handler for four months, fungal levels in the UV test units were significantly lower than in control units.
What Are the Advantages of UV Lights?
Because UV lights kill microbes, mold spores and viruses, your family will be less prone to colds and flu, and anecdotal reports indicate that allergy symptoms can be greatly reduced. UV lights may also be helpful for those with respiratory problems, pulmonary disease, COPD and asthma because they neutralize VOCs that can irritate the throat and lungs. The lights also keep your air conditioner clean, so the unit will be more effective and efficient.
What Are the Disadvantages of UV Lights?
For the lights to be effective, ductwork must be sealed, and you must use air filters with a high MERV rating. You must change the filters monthly and tune up your air conditioner annually. UV lights only kill organic contaminants; they do not remove inorganic particles like pet dander or dust, and they do not kill dust mites.
Here are some additional links to provide added information to the question.
- Effectiveness of Germicidal UV Radiation for Reducing Fungal Contamination within Air-Handling Units - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC93076/
- UV air cleaners and upper-room air ultraviolent germicidal irradiation for controlling airborne bacteria and fungal spores - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16908454
- Surface disinfection by exposure to germicidal UV light - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18695322
- Potential benefits and harms of the use of UV radiation in transmissions of tuberculosis in South Africa health facilities - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6589622/
Blessings,
Bravo Echo Out
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