If you have been shopping for a new furnace, air conditioner, or HVAC system, you have probably seen this new feature that you have never seen before: UV ray cleaning systems.
Whether included in the original model or added as an after market add-on, UV ray sterilization is the latest trend in HVAC maintenance. But what is it, and how does it work?
We have known for a long time that ultraviolet rays, commonly known as UV rays, have a sterilizing effect. Prolonged exposure to UV light will eliminate certain germs and viruses. This is especially helpful in setting where it is hard, inconvenient, or time-consuming to sterilize the space manually.
One application of this is in hospital rooms, where UV cleaners have been utilized to help finalize cleaning. In areas that might be hard to reach, or that carry highly contagious viruses such as COVD, UV rays have been used as a final step to sterilize the room before another patient arrives.
UV in your HVAC
A UV system works much the same way in your HVAC system. By adding UV light to the coils, the filter, or in other harder to reach places, it simply helps your system fight germs more effectively.
Many HVAC systems now will offer a UV light in the area of the air filter. While the filter still workes effectively to remove dust, mites, allergens, and other particulate matter from the air, some forms of mold can still survive.
This is where UV is especially helpful. There are some common forms of mold that simply vanish when exposed to UV light. We have known this for a long time. In fact, the wise adage “sunlight is the best disinfectant” is actually a long understood testament to the power of UV rays. Although our grandmothers didn’t necessarily understand all the science behind it, what they were essentially saying was that UV rays kill germs, viruses, and molds.
This is why the new feature is being offered in many new AC and heating models. People with mold sensitivities and other allergies benefit especially from this new technology. The air we breathe indoors is becoming cleaner and cleaner over time. And UV rays are part of the reason why.
UV lights are helping to make our indoor air cleaner
Photo by Serge Kutuzov on Unsplash
