At Christian Brothers Air Conditioning Plumbing Electrical, we’ve always fielded plenty of questions about indoor air quality. In the past few years, however, more and more homeowners have started to inquire about ways to eliminate microorganisms, such as viruses and bacteria, from their home’s air. Fortunately, there’s an array of air purification products that can help accomplish that. Among them, UV air sanitizers are particularly effective at eliminating those microorganisms. However, many people believe that the only way to add a UV air sanitizer to their home is to buy a whole new HVAC system equipped with one. Most of the time, though, that’s not necessary. Here’s what you need to know about adding a UV air sanitizer to an existing HVAC system.

What Is a UV Air Sanitizer?

Put simply, a UV, or ultraviolet, air sanitizer is a system that emits UV-C light that can neutralize microorganisms. However, it doesn’t kill viruses, mold, or spores. Instead, it damages them in a way that prevents them from synthesizing protein. That makes it impossible for them to reproduce and dramatically reduces their lifespan.

The UV-C light technology is a staple in hospitals and restaurants since it helps to keep the air clean and sterile. However, UV-C light is also harmful to humans in prolonged doses. That’s why it’s mostly used in places where air circulates, and people don’t — like inside an HVAC system.

In the right place, a UV air sanitizer can sanitize mold, viruses, bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms as they pass through your HVAC system. There, it also won’t do any harm to the occupants of your home since the light won’t escape the inside of the system.

Where Are UV Air Sanitizers Installed in an HVAC System?

In general, there are two places within an HVAC system where you can install a UV air sanitizer. The first is near your HVAC’s evaporator coil. This positions the UV light to keep your evaporator coil microbe-free at all times. It also places the light in a position to affect all of the air that passes through your HVAC system while it runs.

In an existing HVAC system, it’s often easiest to install a UV air sanitizer near the evaporator coil. For one thing, it’s a location designed for easy access. Your HVAC system’s evaporator coil is almost always located right at the top of the system’s air handler and accessible via an access door. The only drawback to this approach is that most evaporator coil-mounted UV air sanitizers operate at all times, whether your HVAC turns on or not. That can affect their lifespan and your operating costs, too, although only slightly.

The other location where you can install a UV air purifier in an existing HVAC system is inside the system’s return air duct. This places the light in a position to sanitize the air as it travels to your system’s air handler. This will also help to keep the air handler, including the evaporator coils, free of microbes. Plus, duct-mounted UV air sanitizers don’t remain on all the time. Instead, they’re triggered to turn on only when your system does.

The downside to a duct-mounted UV air sanitizer is that, depending on the configuration of your existing HVAC system, it may be difficult to install. In some homes, return air ducts are almost entirely within finished walls, limiting the places where an HVAC technician can reach to install your UV air sanitizer. Plus, they must also run control wires back to your HVAC system itself to allow the UV light to turn on and off as necessary.

Preparing for a UV Air Sanitizer Installation

There’s also another factor you’ll need to consider if you’d like to add a UV air sanitizer to your existing HVAC system. You’ll need to have an expert HVAC technician clean your entire system, including its ducts, to reap the most benefits. Installing a UV air sanitizer inside a dirty HVAC system will limit the unit’s ability to do its job. When using a UV light on a dirty evaporator coil, the light may not reach through the whole assembly, preventing the UV light from sanitizing the air completely.

The same goes for a UV air sanitizer installed in a return air duct. Those ducts carry air from inside your home before the air passes through your HVAC’s air filter. That makes return air ducts prone to getting dusty and dirty after a few years of use. And since they’re inside walls, most homeowners don’t realize that their return air duct needs periodic, professional cleaning. Adding a UV air sanitizer without cleaning your ductwork first might treat the air passing through the duct, only for it to pick up contaminants further along the line.

Depending on the age of your home’s ducts, you may also require duct sealing services in addition to a cleaning. That’s because old, damaged ducts can draw in contaminants from inside your walls, making your UV air sanitizer less effective. Sealing your ductwork restores it to its original, undamaged condition and allows your sanitizer to treat air within a fully closed system.

How to Get the Most From a UV Air Sanitizer

Retrofitting your existing HVAC system with a UV air sanitizer isn’t the only upgrade you should consider if you’re concerned about air quality. Numerous pollutants affect your home’s air quality that UV-C light does not affect. For example, we mentioned earlier that UV-C light doesn’t kill microorganisms. After passing through the light, they’re rendered incapable of reproducing but are still in your air.

To handle this issue, you may wish to install an air filter in your HVAC system with a higher MERV rating than your current one. MERV ratings are the scale that lets you know how efficient a given air filter is. The higher the number, the better the job the filter does at removing pollutants from your air.

In general, it’s a good idea to pair an air filter with a MERV rating between 8 and 13 for best results with your UV air sanitizer. It’s an inexpensive upgrade that will improve your home’s air quality significantly. However, you should leave the specific filter decision up to a qualified HVAC technician. This is because better filters may restrict airflow in your HVAC system and require some adjustments to your system to make them work correctly. So, it’s not a job to take on yourself.

Trust the Air Quality Experts

So, yes, you can install a UV air sanitizer in your existing HVAC system. The only question is where the best spot to install one is in your specific system configuration and what preparatory steps you’ll have to complete. If you’re ready to take the next step, Christian Brothers Air Conditioning Plumbing Electrical can help.

We offer comprehensive indoor air quality solutions, including UV air sanitizers. Our team of expert HVAC technicians can evaluate your existing HVAC system and let you know how best to proceed with installing one. Plus, we also offer complete heating, cooling, electrical, and plumbing services, too. That makes us the only name in home services that every resident in Glendale ever has to know.

For UV air sanitizers or any other indoor air quality services you need, call Christian Brothers Air Conditioning Plumbing Electrical today!

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