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UV filter for AC

L

ladybug

New member
Hey,

Just had our ducts cleaned and they tried to sell us a UV light "filter" that hooks to our AC unit and apparently kills all sorts of bacteria and/or mold spores, dust, etc.

Has anyone gotten this and if so, what do you think of it? Aside from HEPA filters around the house, I'm kinda leary about installing something that is $600+ and claims to kill pretty much everything... with UV light alone?

Anyway, any info on this would be much appreciated. We are renting our house so cannot put any sort of filter on/in the house that has to stay with the home. This UV light apparently can move with us to a new home. They'd just have to come install it for us.
 
L

ladybug

New member
Hey,

Just had our ducts cleaned and they tried to sell us a UV light "filter" that hooks to our AC unit and apparently kills all sorts of bacteria and/or mold spores, dust, etc.

Has anyone gotten this and if so, what do you think of it? Aside from HEPA filters around the house, I'm kinda leary about installing something that is $600+ and claims to kill pretty much everything... with UV light alone?

Anyway, any info on this would be much appreciated. We are renting our house so cannot put any sort of filter on/in the house that has to stay with the home. This UV light apparently can move with us to a new home. They'd just have to come install it for us.
 
L

ladybug

New member
Hey,

Just had our ducts cleaned and they tried to sell us a UV light "filter" that hooks to our AC unit and apparently kills all sorts of bacteria and/or mold spores, dust, etc.

Has anyone gotten this and if so, what do you think of it? Aside from HEPA filters around the house, I'm kinda leary about installing something that is $600+ and claims to kill pretty much everything... with UV light alone?

Anyway, any info on this would be much appreciated. We are renting our house so cannot put any sort of filter on/in the house that has to stay with the home. This UV light apparently can move with us to a new home. They'd just have to come install it for us.
 
L

ladybug

New member
Hey,

Just had our ducts cleaned and they tried to sell us a UV light "filter" that hooks to our AC unit and apparently kills all sorts of bacteria and/or mold spores, dust, etc.

Has anyone gotten this and if so, what do you think of it? Aside from HEPA filters around the house, I'm kinda leary about installing something that is $600+ and claims to kill pretty much everything... with UV light alone?

Anyway, any info on this would be much appreciated. We are renting our house so cannot put any sort of filter on/in the house that has to stay with the home. This UV light apparently can move with us to a new home. They'd just have to come install it for us.
 
L

ladybug

New member
Hey,
<br />
<br />Just had our ducts cleaned and they tried to sell us a UV light "filter" that hooks to our AC unit and apparently kills all sorts of bacteria and/or mold spores, dust, etc.
<br />
<br />Has anyone gotten this and if so, what do you think of it? Aside from HEPA filters around the house, I'm kinda leary about installing something that is $600+ and claims to kill pretty much everything... with UV light alone?
<br />
<br />Anyway, any info on this would be much appreciated. We are renting our house so cannot put any sort of filter on/in the house that has to stay with the home. This UV light apparently can move with us to a new home. They'd just have to come install it for us.
 
R

Ratatosk

Administrator
Staff member
I've tried researching this before with a similar item for our furnace and was never able to get much info back. I have seen the bulbs at the local menards store though..
 
R

Ratatosk

Administrator
Staff member
I've tried researching this before with a similar item for our furnace and was never able to get much info back. I have seen the bulbs at the local menards store though..
 
R

Ratatosk

Administrator
Staff member
I've tried researching this before with a similar item for our furnace and was never able to get much info back. I have seen the bulbs at the local menards store though..
 
R

Ratatosk

Administrator
Staff member
I've tried researching this before with a similar item for our furnace and was never able to get much info back. I have seen the bulbs at the local menards store though..
 
R

Ratatosk

Administrator
Staff member
I've tried researching this before with a similar item for our furnace and was never able to get much info back. I have seen the bulbs at the local menards store though..
 
N

Nightwriter

New member
Sonia,
Of course my first instinct is when a company comes in to clean your ducts, and then tries to sell you something else - it's the old bait and switch. But to be fair, I wanted to know what the facts are concerning UV technology.

In a nutshell, the existing research does NOT show any significant benefit. With the right filters (Hepa, charcoal, pleated allergy filters, etc) mechanical filtration is still a very efficient system. I have four filters on my heating air conditioning system and a good portable HEPA/Charcoal air filter that is efficient for the size of my house.

This excellent article discusses in detail every kind of air filtration system. I've highlighted a few excerpts concerning UV.

From the Environmental Protection Agency: Critical Assessment of Building Air Technology --

A study performed by Menzies et al. (2003) assessed the reduction in microbial contamination after UVGI was applied to drip pans and cooling coils within the ventilation system of an office building. <b>Although the use of UVGI led to a 99% reduction of microbial contamination on exposed surfaces, airborne microbial levels did not decrease significantly.</b>

Kujundzic et al. (2006) characterized the performance of six in-room air cleaners, including a HEPA filter device, electrostatic filter device, ESP, and air ionizer. Tests were also performed with the HEPA filter and ESP in combination with UVGI. The cleaners were challenged in a room with three biological aerosols, two bacterial and one fungal. <b>The authors note that these UV lamps had no effect on the removal rates from the room.</b>

Environmental and design variables also affect the performance of UVGI systems and include relative humidity, temperature, air velocity and air mixing, lamp selection, the use of reflectors, and the combination of UVGI with filtration. <b>Unfortunately, few experimental data are available for HVAC applications of UVGI.</b>

Maintenance and operating costs for these systems are also high as they include cleaning and changing the bulbs periodically, and because they use a large amount of electricity.

<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.epa.gov/nhsrc/pubs/600r08053.pdf
">http://www.epa.gov/nhsrc/pubs/600r08053.pdf
</a>
 
N

Nightwriter

New member
Sonia,
Of course my first instinct is when a company comes in to clean your ducts, and then tries to sell you something else - it's the old bait and switch. But to be fair, I wanted to know what the facts are concerning UV technology.

In a nutshell, the existing research does NOT show any significant benefit. With the right filters (Hepa, charcoal, pleated allergy filters, etc) mechanical filtration is still a very efficient system. I have four filters on my heating air conditioning system and a good portable HEPA/Charcoal air filter that is efficient for the size of my house.

This excellent article discusses in detail every kind of air filtration system. I've highlighted a few excerpts concerning UV.

From the Environmental Protection Agency: Critical Assessment of Building Air Technology --

A study performed by Menzies et al. (2003) assessed the reduction in microbial contamination after UVGI was applied to drip pans and cooling coils within the ventilation system of an office building. <b>Although the use of UVGI led to a 99% reduction of microbial contamination on exposed surfaces, airborne microbial levels did not decrease significantly.</b>

Kujundzic et al. (2006) characterized the performance of six in-room air cleaners, including a HEPA filter device, electrostatic filter device, ESP, and air ionizer. Tests were also performed with the HEPA filter and ESP in combination with UVGI. The cleaners were challenged in a room with three biological aerosols, two bacterial and one fungal. <b>The authors note that these UV lamps had no effect on the removal rates from the room.</b>

Environmental and design variables also affect the performance of UVGI systems and include relative humidity, temperature, air velocity and air mixing, lamp selection, the use of reflectors, and the combination of UVGI with filtration. <b>Unfortunately, few experimental data are available for HVAC applications of UVGI.</b>

Maintenance and operating costs for these systems are also high as they include cleaning and changing the bulbs periodically, and because they use a large amount of electricity.

<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.epa.gov/nhsrc/pubs/600r08053.pdf
">http://www.epa.gov/nhsrc/pubs/600r08053.pdf
</a>
 
N

Nightwriter

New member
Sonia,
Of course my first instinct is when a company comes in to clean your ducts, and then tries to sell you something else - it's the old bait and switch. But to be fair, I wanted to know what the facts are concerning UV technology.

In a nutshell, the existing research does NOT show any significant benefit. With the right filters (Hepa, charcoal, pleated allergy filters, etc) mechanical filtration is still a very efficient system. I have four filters on my heating air conditioning system and a good portable HEPA/Charcoal air filter that is efficient for the size of my house.

This excellent article discusses in detail every kind of air filtration system. I've highlighted a few excerpts concerning UV.

From the Environmental Protection Agency: Critical Assessment of Building Air Technology --

A study performed by Menzies et al. (2003) assessed the reduction in microbial contamination after UVGI was applied to drip pans and cooling coils within the ventilation system of an office building. <b>Although the use of UVGI led to a 99% reduction of microbial contamination on exposed surfaces, airborne microbial levels did not decrease significantly.</b>

Kujundzic et al. (2006) characterized the performance of six in-room air cleaners, including a HEPA filter device, electrostatic filter device, ESP, and air ionizer. Tests were also performed with the HEPA filter and ESP in combination with UVGI. The cleaners were challenged in a room with three biological aerosols, two bacterial and one fungal. <b>The authors note that these UV lamps had no effect on the removal rates from the room.</b>

Environmental and design variables also affect the performance of UVGI systems and include relative humidity, temperature, air velocity and air mixing, lamp selection, the use of reflectors, and the combination of UVGI with filtration. <b>Unfortunately, few experimental data are available for HVAC applications of UVGI.</b>

Maintenance and operating costs for these systems are also high as they include cleaning and changing the bulbs periodically, and because they use a large amount of electricity.

<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.epa.gov/nhsrc/pubs/600r08053.pdf
">http://www.epa.gov/nhsrc/pubs/600r08053.pdf
</a>
 
N

Nightwriter

New member
Sonia,
Of course my first instinct is when a company comes in to clean your ducts, and then tries to sell you something else - it's the old bait and switch. But to be fair, I wanted to know what the facts are concerning UV technology.

In a nutshell, the existing research does NOT show any significant benefit. With the right filters (Hepa, charcoal, pleated allergy filters, etc) mechanical filtration is still a very efficient system. I have four filters on my heating air conditioning system and a good portable HEPA/Charcoal air filter that is efficient for the size of my house.

This excellent article discusses in detail every kind of air filtration system. I've highlighted a few excerpts concerning UV.

From the Environmental Protection Agency: Critical Assessment of Building Air Technology --

A study performed by Menzies et al. (2003) assessed the reduction in microbial contamination after UVGI was applied to drip pans and cooling coils within the ventilation system of an office building. <b>Although the use of UVGI led to a 99% reduction of microbial contamination on exposed surfaces, airborne microbial levels did not decrease significantly.</b>

Kujundzic et al. (2006) characterized the performance of six in-room air cleaners, including a HEPA filter device, electrostatic filter device, ESP, and air ionizer. Tests were also performed with the HEPA filter and ESP in combination with UVGI. The cleaners were challenged in a room with three biological aerosols, two bacterial and one fungal. <b>The authors note that these UV lamps had no effect on the removal rates from the room.</b>

Environmental and design variables also affect the performance of UVGI systems and include relative humidity, temperature, air velocity and air mixing, lamp selection, the use of reflectors, and the combination of UVGI with filtration. <b>Unfortunately, few experimental data are available for HVAC applications of UVGI.</b>

Maintenance and operating costs for these systems are also high as they include cleaning and changing the bulbs periodically, and because they use a large amount of electricity.

<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.epa.gov/nhsrc/pubs/600r08053.pdf
">http://www.epa.gov/nhsrc/pubs/600r08053.pdf
</a>
 
N

Nightwriter

New member
Sonia,
<br />Of course my first instinct is when a company comes in to clean your ducts, and then tries to sell you something else - it's the old bait and switch. But to be fair, I wanted to know what the facts are concerning UV technology.
<br />
<br />In a nutshell, the existing research does NOT show any significant benefit. With the right filters (Hepa, charcoal, pleated allergy filters, etc) mechanical filtration is still a very efficient system. I have four filters on my heating air conditioning system and a good portable HEPA/Charcoal air filter that is efficient for the size of my house.
<br />
<br />This excellent article discusses in detail every kind of air filtration system. I've highlighted a few excerpts concerning UV.
<br />
<br />From the Environmental Protection Agency: Critical Assessment of Building Air Technology --
<br />
<br />A study performed by Menzies et al. (2003) assessed the reduction in microbial contamination after UVGI was applied to drip pans and cooling coils within the ventilation system of an office building. <b>Although the use of UVGI led to a 99% reduction of microbial contamination on exposed surfaces, airborne microbial levels did not decrease significantly.</b>
<br />
<br />Kujundzic et al. (2006) characterized the performance of six in-room air cleaners, including a HEPA filter device, electrostatic filter device, ESP, and air ionizer. Tests were also performed with the HEPA filter and ESP in combination with UVGI. The cleaners were challenged in a room with three biological aerosols, two bacterial and one fungal. <b>The authors note that these UV lamps had no effect on the removal rates from the room.</b>
<br />
<br />Environmental and design variables also affect the performance of UVGI systems and include relative humidity, temperature, air velocity and air mixing, lamp selection, the use of reflectors, and the combination of UVGI with filtration. <b>Unfortunately, few experimental data are available for HVAC applications of UVGI.</b>
<br />
<br />Maintenance and operating costs for these systems are also high as they include cleaning and changing the bulbs periodically, and because they use a large amount of electricity.
<br />
<br /><a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.epa.gov/nhsrc/pubs/600r08053.pdf
">http://www.epa.gov/nhsrc/pubs/600r08053.pdf
</a><br />
<br />
 
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