Do you ever get sick and tired of being sick and tired? Do you hate all germs and wish they would die? It is quite natural to have such germicidal thoughts, and it can actually be quite healthy to follow through with them. Your HVAC system can help, through the use of germicidal lights, also known as UV lights.
UV lights kill germs. In fact, one of the reasons that so many people get sick through diseases spread indoors 
is because our indoor environments protect germs from the sun’s UV rays.
Many germs do still survive outdoors, but that is largely because the ozone layer blocks most of the high-energy UV rays that are deadly to germs. You can buy electronic germicidal lamps, however, that produce the very UV frequencies that are most effective at killing germs.
You wouldn’t want these UV lamps shining in your living room, but there is a way to safely and effectively use them in your Twin Cities home. These UV lights are designed to work inside your HVAC duct system. Deep inside the ducts, next to the air conditioner coil, the UV rays remain completely contained and away from your skin. However, since the HVAC system circulates all of the air in the house – over and over again – these duct-mounted UV lights are very effective at killing airborne germs. They also kill other potentially harmful micro-organisms, such as the mold that might otherwise grow on your moist air conditioning coil.
These UV lamps are so effective that they have been recommended by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for preventing diseases spread through the air. According to their studies, the most effective systems are those that use both a duct-mounted UV lamp and an air filter with a high MERV rating.
If you would like more information on UV lights or other ways to improve your indoor air quality, contact us at Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning. We provide free air quality checks to determine your home’s needs, and can recommend the right indoor air quality system to meet those needs.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Minnesota’s Twin Cities about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about UV lights and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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