The air quality in your Kansas City area home is essential for both home comfort and health. A high number UVGI lighting systems being installed — in Kansas City as well as across the country due to its increased effectiveness. If you presently have a UV light system on your whole-house system then it is important to know the importance of replacing the bulbs as they age. And as long as you know when to replace their bulbs, you can reap their benefits for years to come.
What Are UVGI Lights?
UVGI stands for ultraviolet germicidal irradiation. These lights are installed by a professional within your HVAC equipment, either to treat the air that passes through your home’s ductwork or the components of your unit (such as the A/C or heat pump indoor coils and condensate pan). They specifically target microorganisms, which include pollutants ranging from bacteria and viruses to mildew and mold.
Why Are UVGI Lights Helpful?
As you can imagine, the aforementioned pollutants are not good for your family’s health. Some of these microorganisms can make you sick, while others may cause respiratory ailments to develop. If someone in your household already suffers from problems such as asthma or allergies, breathing in pollutants can exacerbate these issues. What’s great about ultraviolet lights is that microorganisms can’t defend themselves. Exposure to the lights will break down their molecular structure, essentially destroying them.
When Should the Bulbs Be Replaced?
Like all light bulbs, UVGI bulbs cannot last forever. It’s important that you stick to a replacement schedule, or else their effectiveness will diminish over time. As a general rule, if the lights are being used to treat the air traveling through your home’s ducts, replacement should be done once each year. On the other hand, if they’re being used to eliminate mold and bacteria on HVAC coils and other system components, you only need to worry about replacing the bulbs once every two years. Keep in mind, however, that under no circumstances should you allow a bulb to run for more than three years. You won’t receive any air quality benefits, and it can damage your system, too. Always follow the manufactures recommnedation when considering the right time to replace the bulbs.
If you would like further assistance with UVGI lights, or for questions regarding home comfort, please contact our heating and cooling experts at Overland Park Heating & Cooling. We’ve been serving the needs of Greater Kansas City and the surrounding area since 1983.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Overland Park, Kansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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