Because of the health benefits of ultraviolet light (UV) technology, major players in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) sector have been integrating UV technology into HVAC systems. Such integration brings various benefits, from enhancing indoor air quality to boosting equipment life and efficiency.
However, it is important to hire professionals to keep the system running optimally. Properly maintaining your HVAC system and the newly integrated UV lights will ensure that it works efficiently and avoids unnecessary repair costs. Here are 10 benefits of incorporating UV lights into your existing HVAC system.
1. Anti-Microbial Effect
Pathogenic microbial organisms like mold, mildew, and bacteria thrive in the HVAC’s humid conditions and hide within the system’s coils. So, when you don’t clean the unit regularly, the chances are that the microbes will continue increasing. This can eventually interfere with the equipment’s performance and bring about health issues.
However, UV lights are a practical solution to combat these microbes. UV lights within the wavelength range of 100-280 nanometers effectively deactivate and kill pathogenic microbes, which cuts short their potential adverse effects. In particular, the wavelength destroys these microbes’ RNA and DNA. Without these, they cannot proliferate.
2. Allergen Control
A poorly maintained HVAC system can harbor spore-producing mold and mildew, which prompt allergic responses, especially in people with asthma and other respiratory conditions. It becomes more challenging by the day for such people to take in clean air, and they often struggle to breathe when staying indoors in closed spaces.
UV lights, however, can significantly help fight off these allergens. The powerful lights destroy the spores that these microbes produce or stop the microbes from making the spores entirely, leading to cleaner indoor air.
3. Odor Elimination
You generally expect your HVAC system to improve your space’s indoor air quality. That’s only likely if the ductwork is clean and microbe-free. One way to ensure this is by installing UV lights that act against microbes and obstructive organic matter.
The UV light acts on the pathogens and neutralizes them. In particular, UV light destroys spore-producing mold and bacteria, stopping them from creating unpleasant odors. Ultimately, your HVAC system smells nice as your indoor air quality improves.
4. Energy Efficiency
Microbes and organic matter are likely to build up within an HVAC component, such as filters and coils, after some time. When they do, they reduce the system’s energy efficiency. Your HVAC system works double hard in heating and cooling your space, which means double the energy consumption and an increased utility bill.
With UV light integration, you can count on the strong wavelengths to degrade microbes and organic matter, contributing to cleaner HVAC system components. Cleaner components, in turn, means better heat transfer and airflow. Once that’s the case, your HVAC system’s energy consumption reduces, and you save on the utility bills.
5. Enhanced Indoor Comfort
Ultimately, UV lights within your HVAC system contribute to a much cleaner indoor space. Internally, UV lights destroy pathogenic microbes and obstructions of organic matter, which can interfere with air quality. Cleaner air creates a much more comfortable indoor environment.
By eliminating allergens, UV lights enable your HVAC system to supply cleaner air, which is healthy to breathe and makes your indoor space more comfortable, especially for someone with breathing difficulties. Also, because UV lights act on organic matter and other obstructions that interfere with the HVAC system’s performance, your unit can run without malfunctioning, guaranteeing stable temperature regulation in your home.
6. Reduced System Maintenance
Over time, organic matter builds up within your HVAC system, and that reduces the system’s effectiveness. If you don’t clean the system regularly, it’ll struggle to heat and cool your space, sometimes resulting in a breakdown.
However, constantly cleaning your HVAC system can be a struggle and even expensive in the long run. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget about the cleaning entirely. UV light integration, however, saves you from such concerns as you don’t have to clean the HVAC ductwork as frequently.
The powerful lights break down the obstructive organic matter, offering your HVAC system ductwork unrestricted airflow, eliminating the need to clean the system frequently. In the end, not only does that save you money, but it also saves you time since you don’t have to stop and schedule duct cleaning or endure the hassle.
7. Extended Equipment Life
Mold, bacteria, and other microbes that inhabit the HVAC system can degrade the equipment and its parts over time. Once that happens, the system will likely break down. UV lights, however, can help save your equipment’s life by neutralizing the microbes that could degrade your HVAC unit. You get to use your HVAC system for a much longer time before needing to replace it. Not only that, but the heating and cooling unit also performs optimally.
8. Building Codes Compliance
Complying with basic building codes on HVAC installations in most places is crucial. You are expected to install efficient HVAC systems that promote indoor air quality and whose designs allow proper airflow and energy conservation. That’s possible with UV light integration from an HVAC professional like First Choice Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning. We can help you install UV lights into your HVAC system in compliance with Metuchen, NJ, regulations.
9. Enhanced Indoor Air Quality
The fact that UV lights help to neutralize spore-producing microbes means that they provide a much improved indoor air quality score. It also means cleaner indoor air to take in, which is free not only from disease-causing microbial organisms but also from harmful pollutants.
Ordinarily, you’ll need to clean and sanitize your HVAC unit as often as possible to free the ductwork from pathogenic microbes and pollutants. That can be expensive and time-consuming. UV light integration is the perfect bridge as it helps you improve air quality by reducing the levels of microorganisms in the air, resulting in clean air inside your home.
10. Reduced Chemical Use
UV light can be used as an alternative to chemicals, such as disinfectants and biocides, that are used to control indoor air pollution. At times, the chemicals may be harmful to people or the environment, and using UV light can be an alternative safe way to improve the quality of indoor air.
The benefits of UV lights in your HVAC system are undeniable, making the integration worth it. UV light improves the quality of indoor air and reduces the risks of your family getting respiratory diseases caused by breathing in dirty air. It also improves your system energy consumption and extends the lifespan of your HVAC system.
We at First Choice Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning can help you install UV lights into your HVAC system to start appreciating the various benefits of the integration of improved indoor air quality. We offer various services, such as repair and installation of heating and cooling systems, plumbing services, and HVAC systems. If you are located in Metuchen, NJ, or the surrounding area, call [company_name today to schedule expert indoor air quality services!
