The air inside our homes is often not as clean as we would like to think it is. In fact, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air is often considerably more polluted than the air outside. This indoor air pollution includes microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses and mold, which can literally make you sick. Thankfully, there is something you can do to improve your home’s air and your own health, and it involves something you might not expect: UV lights.
UV (or ultraviolet) light is deadly to germs and other microorganisms, at least in the right frequency and concentration. The exact frequency used to kill germs is rare in direct sunlight, because it is easily blocked by the earth’s atmosphere. However, there are UV lights you can buy that do generate that frequency, and use it to kill germs. By installing these lights inside your home’s duct system, you can kill the microorganisms in the air that passes through every time your air conditioner or furnace runs. Since they are concealed deep inside the duct system, none of the UV rays actually reach the living areas of your house.
The effectiveness of UV lights in fighting germs is well-proven, and the technology is not at all new; in fact, it won the Nobel Prize for Medicine way back in 1903. As an air cleaner, it has long been used in the air ducts of hospitals and other medical facilities, to prevent the spread of disease. The only difference is that now you can use the same technology in your own home.
There are multiple duct-mounted UV-light systems available for home use, but the most effective ones are those that combine UV lights with a high-quality air filter. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, such UV-filter combinations are the best way to rid your home’s air of germs.
If you have any questions about UV lights, air filters or other ways to improve your home’s indoor air quality, contact us at Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric.
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Hansberger Refrigeration & Electric Co services the Yuma area in Arizona. To get started, check out our website.