Indoor air quality is a major household concern today, and in Florida we face an even more difficult obstacle when protecting our air from unhealthy contaminants: the growth of mold, fungus, and other bacteria within our home’s ventilation systems. The humid climate provides an easy medium for these biological pollutants to begin to take hold and grow. Some molds send toxic spores into the air that can lead to serious ailments for people in a house.
Dealing with biological pollutants is tricky, since they often do not go away through traditional cleaning methods. But there is help: UV germicidal lights, a technology used in medicine and laboratories to sterilize environments.
Thanks to companies like Ierna’s Heating & Cooling, you can have UV germicidal lights installed to defend your home against these dangerous intruders. Call us today for an appointment.
The action of UV germicidal lights
In 1903, Icelander Niels Finsen won the Nobel Prize for medicine for his pioneering work using ultraviolet radiation to treat diseases such as tuberculosis. The use of UV lamps spread through the health care world, and today this method of sterilization is widely used for hospitals, laboratories, water treatment plants, and in the food service industry as a way to cleanse bacteria without leaving residual harmful chemicals.
UV lights in your home are positioned within the ductwork, targeted at infested areas and places where bacteria might pass along toward the vents. The extreme short wavelength of the ultraviolet radiation disrupts the cellular structure of molds and microbacteria, stripping away their nucleus and not only killing the bacteria, but also preventing its reproduction. When you use UV lights on your ducts, you’re not only eliminating mold, you’re preventing it from coming back.
Concentrated doses of UV radiation can be harmful to humans (that’s why you should always wear UV shielded sunglasses when outside), but the lamps used to clean ducts are designed for safety and pose no threat to you or anyone else in your household. The lights will carry out their job without you even noticing them.
You will need professionals to install these UV lamps, however, to make sure they are working as they should. It is also wise to have them routinely maintained and inspected, with necessary bulb changes and adjustments.
Ierna’s Heating & Cooling offers a variety of ways to improve your indoor air quality, including professional installation of UV germicidal lights in Tampa, FL that will take care of any mold growth inside your ventilation system. Call us today to learn about what we offer in the way of air filtration and air cleaners as well.