When Cold And Flu Season Rolls Around, UV Lights Ramp Up Your Protection

UV lights help keep your family healthy and well during cold and flu season. They significantly decrease the amount of mold, bacteria, allergens, and viruses in your air, as long as the lights are installed correctly.

UV lights play an important role, especially in the winter:

• Interior air becomes polluted without proper ventilation. In the winter, most homeowners don’t open the windows as often, and as a result, pollutants accumulate inside. This raises the risk of wintertime ailments such as colds and flu.
• Stop organisms from reproducing. UV lights are installed inside your ducts so that micro-organisms in your air have to pass through the lights before the air circulates in your living spaces. When the UV rays shine on mold, mildew, bacteria and viruses, their DNA is altered to the point that they can no longer reproduce. This effectively eliminates them.
• Lessen the demand on your HVAC system. When fewer pollutants are in your air, air filters stay cleaner and last longer. Keeping your filter in good condition is vital because dirty filters block airflow, which puts strain on the blower motor and other components, and robs your system of efficiency. Clean filters also do a better job of trapping particles so they cannot settle inside your system, which eventually can cause damage.
• Easily maintain high air quality. The bulbs for your UV lights only need to be changed about once a year. They are typically installed in your ducts close to a vent, or at the coil of your heat pump, so you can easily look in and see when the bulb is out. When it is, just unscrew the vent and change the bulb just like you would any light bulb.
• Use other filtration as well. UV lights don’t do anything to scrub non-organic particles from your indoor air. This is why a comprehensive indoor air quality strategy also requires effective air filtration as part of your HVAC system.

To speak with an HVAC expert about UV lights for your home, please contact us at Paschal Heating, Air & Geothermal. With over 40 years of service in northwest Arkansas, we have the knowledge and expertise to help you save money and keep your family healthy all year.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Northwest Arkansas 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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