Germicidal Control With UV Lights

Unfortunately, your family and pets are not the only living residents of your home. Today’s houses are also filled with airborne germs and other microorganisms. In fact, most homes have a far higher concentration of germs than the outdoor air, because the walls, roof and comfort systems that protect residents from the elements also provide a fertile living environment for microorganisms.

There is a way to kill these unwanted, disease- and allergy-causing house guests. It involves bringing one of those outside elements into your home in the form of ultraviolet (UV) lights.

UV light, and especially ultraviolet light of a certain frequency, is deadly to microorganisms. In fact, UV light is often referred to as “germicidal” light, since “germicide” is what it does. Hospitals, for instance, have used UV lights to help sterilize surgical instruments.

Hospitals also commonly use UV lights within their HVAC systems to prevent the airborne spread of disease between rooms. This strategy has proved highly effective and is now also available for private homes.

When you install a UV light source inside your home’s HVAC system—within the main air duct near the air conditioning coils—you suddenly turn the HVAC system into an efficient germicidal machine. Since all of the air in the house regularly passes through the duct, all airborne germs get repeatedly exposed to the germicidal light without any of the UV rays ever reaching your living areas. It also prevents mold from growing in the condensation on the A/C coils, keeping mold spores from spreading and eliminating related allergies.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the best setup for preventing airborne illnesses is to combine a UV light with an air filter that has a fairly high MERV number. Together, they can turn your home into a healthy, clean-air oasis.

For more information on UV lights or other ways you can improve your indoor air quality, give us a call at (503) 266-1249. We have been helping your Portland-area neighbors stay happy and healthy in their own homes for 36 years and would love to do the same for you.