There are good reasons to investigate the benefits of having integrated HVAC accessories installed in your Las Vegas, Nevada home. Many of these add-ons are capable of enhancing the efficacy, efficiency, and overall performance of heating and cooling systems. This is certainly the case with germicidal UV lights. Much like their name implies, these lights wreak havoc on airborne pathogens. However, they can benefit your household, your heating and cooling equipment, and your budget in many other ways. Following are seven reasons to consider having them put in.
1. Limit the Spread of Illness
One major benefit of having germicidal UV lights installed is being able to target harmful viruses and bacteria without having to disperse potentially toxic sprays. Most store-bought disinfecting solutions that are capable of eradicating airborne pathogens aren’t meant to be constantly breathed in. Thus, even as you’re using these products to keep your loved ones safe and illness-free, you’re also undermining everyone’s health. Each time store-bought disinfectants are sprayed in your home, your indoor air quality (IAQ) goes down.
Germicidal UV lights emit an ultra-violet (UV) light that disrupts the development and reproduction of mold, bacteria, and viruses. In an interconnected air distribution system like your home’s HVAC system, these lights may be able to stop the spread of illness. For instance, if a sick person sneezes in their bedroom, any contaminated air that enters or exits the return and supply vents will pass beneath UV lights before being distributed to other areas. As such, having one person fall ill doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone else will get sick too.
Germicidal UV lights are an excellent addition to any other tools or techniques that you’re already using to keep viruses and other illnesses contained. Keep in mind that a standard HVAC air filter cannot capture and retain particulates that are as small as the germs released during a sneeze.
When it comes to preventing illness, there’s also a surprising secondary benefit of having UV lights installed. When you have static, preventative measures that you can count on, you’re less likely to greet the flu and cold season with an impending sense of doom and overwhelming anxiety. The peace of mind that UV lights provide can do wonders for your immune system by simply eliminating one of the most common forms of seasonal stress.
2. Take a Proactive Stance on Curbing Mold and Mildew Development
Every homeowner knows that the avoidance of mold is an ongoing, multi-pronged challenge. It starts with establishing and maintaining balanced humidity indoors, and it entails diligent efforts to:
- Address leaks in a timely fashion
- Regularly change out HVAC air filters
- Keep high-moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms well-ventilated
However, despite diligence in each of these and other measures, the potential for mold still exists. Germicidal UV lights target mold in one of your home’s most vulnerable locations. They eliminate mold spores and mildew before massive accumulations can form in your HVAC air ducts. This ensures that these harmful growths aren’t constantly circulated throughout the living environment. It promotes a higher IAQ, and it’s a worthwhile measure for any household with people who suffer from chronic respiratory ailments.
3. Reduce Unpleasant Indoor Odors
Aside from improving your IAQ, efforts to keep problems with mold and mildew at bay can pay off in other ways. If your home has a persistent, musty odor, having germicidal UV lights installed may be the solution. Clean, mold- and mildew-free air invariably smells fresher than air that’s been circulated through HVAC ductwork that’s riddled with these growths.
4. Increase the Efficiency of Your HVAC System
Every heating and cooling system comes with one or more standard filters. Although many people view these filters as existing to improve their IAQ, they actually exist to protect HVAC equipment. Built-in filtration is designed to keep large-sized particulates from entering or settling on interior components and causing them to overheat and malfunction. Most standard HVAC air filters are great for picking up fairly large-sized debris such as dirt, dust, dander, and lint. However, they aren’t designed to capture tiny mold spores. Worse still, when mold and mildew flourish in the naturally moist environments that HVAC ductwork and HVAC equipment supply, they can form coatings that prove just as harmful to system performance as heavy buildups of dust.
Keeping the interior of your HVAC system free of these buildups will prolong its lifespan, enhance its performance, and limit your energy bills. With UV lights installed, your system will have cleaner coils and distribute cleaner air. More importantly, it won’t have to work as hard to get its job done.
5. Avoid Problems With Clogged Condensate Drains
Condensate lines route accumulated water out of your HVAC system and into the condensate drain. Just as their name and function suggest, condensate drains and condensate lines are constantly exposed to moisture. This makes them a prime location for algae development. When algae form in a condensate line or at the condensate drain, it will eventually prevent water from flowing. Fortunately, germicidal UV lights can both prevent algae formation and reverse existing problems with algae in these areas.
6. Improve Your IAQ By Removing VOCs
One surprising benefit of having germicidal UV lights installed is the ability to limit the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) circulating throughout your home. These are dangerous vapors such as formaldehyde, toluene, xylene, acetone, and ethanol. They come from unsealed building materials that are constantly off-gassing, many self-care and beauty products, and a host of common household cleaners. Not only are they bad for your health, but much like mold and mildew, they can also contribute to the development of unpleasant and persistent indoor odors.
Even as germicidal UV lights are working with you to eliminate bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens, they’re also working to limit the effects of any sanitizing and deodorizing agents that you regularly use. Moreover, whether you have a budding cosmetologist in the family who’s constantly using nail glue or nail polish, a hobbyist who enjoys working with epoxy, or someone who loves releasing entire cans of room freshening sprays, having germicidal UV lights installed can help protect your IAQ.
7. Lower Your Carbon Footprint
Finally, there’s also the benefit of knowing that you’re taking yet another step toward limiting your environmental impact. Everything that you do to enhance the efficiency and overall performance of your home heating and cooling equipment will ultimately lower your energy use. An efficient heater will use less fuel during winter, and it will release fewer harmful emissions as a result.
Germicidal UV lights are popular, integrated HVAC accessories. These lights are installed within HVAC ductwork so that they don’t take up usable space within the actual living environment. Although their work is done behind the scenes, everyone in your home will appreciate their efforts. These lights are a great addition to households that are constantly passing illnesses back and forth. They also work well in mold-prone environments and in HVAC systems that routinely develop condensate line blockages.
Polar Air & Heating, Inc. has been proudly serving the greater Las Vegas area since 1998. We offer air conditioner and heater installation, repair, and maintenance services. We also provide indoor air quality services, air purifiers, and germicidal UV lights. To find out more about integrated HVAC accessories or to schedule a consultation appointment, call us today!
