UV Lamps & Air Quality

Using Ultraviolet light to improve indoor air quality
With “tighter,” more energy efficient homes – the quality of indoor air has declined dramatically. The air circulating in the ductwork of the average home or office can be concentrated with contaminants including molds, bacteria, and viruses. Basic filtering systems offer little help because these airborne contaminants either pass through a filter or collect on filter medium and grow. Ultraviolet light can help fill the indoor air quality gap and clean the contaminants in the air that filters can’t.

The germicidal effects of UV light cause photochemical damage to DNA and RNA within microorganisms. UV technology is widely used in hospitals, pharmacies, and commercial kitchens to kill airborne and surface microorganisms like mold and bacteria. Now homeowners can benefit from UV products, too.

The air in a home will pass through the HVAC system up to 75 times per day during the heating/cooling season and up to 150 time per day if the system is in continuous fan mode.

Ultraviolet lamps can be easily added to an existing forced air system. Lamps can be installed either in the main supply or return duct of a central heating or air system. The best installation location for a UV lamp is downstream of the air conditioning coils on the supply side of the heating/cooling system. Condensation on air conditioning coils and standing water in the drip pan below provide a breeding ground for bacteria and mold. A properly placed UV lamp above the coil can eliminate these risks and can clean the air as it passes into the supply ductwork of the home. UV lamp systems can also be placed in the return air ductwork to clean the air as it passes through the system.

FLAME Furnace offers a full line of UV coil irradiation and air treatment systems from the leading manufacturers in the indoor air quality industry. We also stock and sell replacement bulbs for these systems.