Like many homeowners, you’re probably always on the lookout for ways to improve the indoor air quality (IAQ) of your Roseville, CA home. As consumers become increasingly knowledgeable about IAQs and the factors that affect them, the popularity of preventative measures like high-rated air filters and UV lighting increases. Although regular filter changes and semiannual HVAC tune-ups can go a long way toward helping you achieve your goals, the installation of UV lights is fast becoming essential. UV lights address airborne contaminants that many other IAQ measures do not. Moreover, these lights provide a range of benefits that go far beyond having cleaner, healthier indoor air. Following are eight of them.
1. Improve Airflow in Your HVAC System
Mounted inside of HVAC systems and shining directly down on their coils, UV lights eliminate excess moisture and a number of harmful particulates within heating and cooling equipment. Air can move freely through HVAC systems with UV lights, given that it’s unimpeded by accumulations of common contaminants. Not only does this allow for better overall performance, but it also reduces the rate of ongoing wear. For most homeowners, this means having fewer HVAC repair bills to contend with over time and greater levels of indoor comfort overall.
2. Prolong the Lifespan of Your HVAC Equipment
Better airflow makes it easier for HVAC systems to get their job done. It will take less time for your heater or air conditioner to create the desired temperature in your home once you’ve had UV lights installed. With less work to do, an HVAC system that has UV lights will often enjoy a longer lifespan. Thus, not only will you pay less for repairs, but you will also stave off the need for HVAC replacement services for a longer span of time.
3. Enjoy Higher Levels of HVAC System Efficiency
UV lighting and the improvements in airflow that it produces make HVAC systems far more efficient. This provides both cost-saving benefits and smaller carbon footprints for entire households. In many Northern California homes, HVAC use accounts for almost 50% of the typical monthly utility bill. This is especially true during the hottest months of summer and the coldest months of winter. By simply having UV lights installed, you can noticeably lower your overhead costs and feel better about your household’s collective energy use.
4. Eliminate and Prevent Profusions of Mold and Other Harmful Microorganisms
UV lighting is essential in any home that’s especially mold-prone. If you live in an area with high levels of humidity or if you have a large family and do lots of indoor cooking, excess moisture in your home can leave you with rank, musty smells, discolored drywall, and a host of respiratory issues, among other things. UV lighting kills mold spores before they have the opportunity to permeate the entire HVAC system and be circulated throughout the building. As an added benefit, these HVAC additions also eradicate harmful bacteria and viruses. With UV lights installed, building residents tend to fall ill less often, and they have an easier time overcoming the illnesses they do develop.
5. Enjoy a Fresher-Smelling Home
Overly humid and mold-prone homes rarely smell fresh. However, there are many other things that can also cause foul, pervasive smells that make being inside less than enjoyable. Tobacco use, pungent foods, burnt food, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other chemicals that are off-gassed from building materials are common culprits. Certain smells are more than just unpleasant. They can leave residents with headaches, irritable moods, and low energy. UV lighting creates a more enjoyable and fresher-smelling living environment by continuously removing odors and preventing the build-up of contaminants and other particulates that cause them.
6. Get Rid of Harmful VOCs
The overall toxicity of your living environment isn’t something that a typical HVAC filter can help with. Even if you have other measures in place for removing large particulates like pet hair, pollen, and dander, you’ve likely still got a number of micro-fine contaminants being circulated through the building. Fresh paint, aging paint, certain adhesives, and unsealed particle board are constantly releasing harmful chemicals. Over time, constantly breathing these in may result in chronic and even progressive health issues.
UV lights can address airborne contaminants that even some of the most high-rated HVAC filters cannot. While filters can have maximum efficiency reporting value (MERV) ratings that range as high as 20, most HVAC systems aren’t built to accommodate filters with ratings higher than 12 without undergoing significant modifications. Filters with MERV ratings of 13 and higher are generally used in clean rooms, hospital settings, lab settings, and other commercial or industrial environments. With UV lights in your HVAC system, you can enjoy many of the same benefits that advanced filtration provides without making any significant changes to the residential HVAC equipment you own.
7. Prevent Build-ups and Clogs in Condensate Drain Lines
HVAC systems produce moisture all of the time. Excess moisture can overwhelm drain lines in these systems. It also greatly increases the likelihood of mold and mildew formation when measures for mitigating don’t exist. It’s also important to note that the muck that bypasses HVAC filters and circulates throughout homes can wind up causing problems at condensate drain lines too. Accumulations of mold can eventually result in blockages and drain pan overflows. This is a common problem in poorly maintained HVAC systems in overly humid or otherwise mold-prone homes. Worse still, if blockages and overflows like these aren’t caught and addressed quickly, they can lead to widespread water damage.
8. Reduce Indoor Allergens
Finally, the improvements in the overall IAQ that UV lights produce cannot be overlooked. Whether you’ve got pets, live near active construction, or have a home that’s right near a busy freeway, your living space will have far fewer airborne allergens floating around after you’ve had UV lights installed. Just as these additions are capable of getting rid of mold, bacteria, and harmful VOCs, they can also greatly reduce the number of allergens that are indoors. The extra work that UV lights do in improving your IAQ will limit the load on your HVAC air filter so that it can perform optimally as well.
HVAC systems that have UV light work better, last longer, and cost a lot less to use. More importantly, when homes boast these additions, building residents are healthier overall. UV lighting is a popular choice among households with residents who live with chronic respiratory ailments. Issues like asthma, allergies, and COPD are far less likely to be exacerbated or triggered when UV lights are present. Unlike many other indoor air quality measures, UV lights are generally a “set it and forget it” solution. They don’t have to be changed on a monthly basis as air filters do, and they don’t require major system alterations like air filters with ultra-high MERV ratings.
At Environmental Heating & Air Solutions, we aim to make it easy for homeowners to make informed decisions about their HVAC systems and their indoor air qualities. We offer air duct cleaning, air duct sealing, and carbon monoxide detection services to residents of the greater Roseville, CA, area. We also provide UV lighting installation, home zoning, and home automation services. Get in touch with us today to find out if UV lights are right for your HVAC system.
