You probably know that the sun’s ultraviolet light (UV) is to blame for your painful sunburn. But did you realize that another variety of ultraviolet light can be useful for keeping your home’s air clean?
The sun gives off two types of harmful UV rays, UVA and UVB. These harmful rays can lead to sunburn, skin cancer, wrinkles and other signs of premature aging.
There’s another concentration of UV light, called UVC. While full exposure to this ultraviolet light is bad for your skin or eyes, it can safely be used to disinfect air, water and certain surfaces.
TopTec Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical uses this light in some of our solutions to boost air filtration in Libertyville residences.
Applications for Ultraviolet Light
This precise wavelength is referred to as “germicidal” since it destroys the DNA of bacteria and viruses. When pathogens travel through this light, they eventually die since they can’t spread.
This makes UVC light a potent replacement to chemical disinfection. Germicidal light is applied in a lot of disinfection procedures, including medical laboratories and hospitals. It’s also used to clean drinking water and other liquids created in food processing.
It’s growing in popularity to disinfect air in residences in Libertyville. That’s because it can also wipe out frequent indoor contaminants such as mold, mildew and bacteria. This is an added perk if someone in your household has seasonal allergies or asthma.
How to Use Germicidal UV Light in Your Home
We place a germicidal UV light in your HVAC system’s ductwork. Since the light is put inside the ductwork, it makes it compatible with many heating and cooling systems. This also keeps its rays securely housed while giving great purification for your house’s air.
Contaminated air is freshened in a two-step process, first flowing through your air filter and then the UV light before flowing across your home. Even when your heat or air conditioning isn’t working, these lights still run to keep your air, ductwork and home comfort unit clean.
This whole-house solution is greater than a portable air purifier, which is restricted to cleaning the air in one space. Portable air purifiers also can’t freshen your ductwork or the interior of your HVAC unit. A clean HVAC system is often a more efficient one that could even run longer. And, many portable air purifiers have a bad reputation for producing ozone.
When considering getting a germicidal lamp for your home, it’s critical to select one that doesn’t produce ozone. While ozone is great at eradicating odors and chemicals, it can also irritate your lungs and lead to other respiratory troubles.
If you’re seeking methods to freshen your home’s air, the indoor air quality experts at TopTec Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical can help. We sell a large range of products to help your household breathe more easily. Contact us at 847-362-0262 to request a free, no-obligation home comfort analysis and estimate right away!