Are UV Air Purifiers Effective?

We’ve been seeing a lot of curiosity about UV light air purifiers recently. It’s not surprising, since IAQ has become such a big deal, and in the Greater Lehigh Valley area, you want to be sure you’re getting the best option to improve health and comfort. Today, we’re going to tackle one of the biggest and most pertinent questions we get: Are UV air purifiers effective? Do they actually work? It’s a great question, so let’s get going and go a bit in-depth with it!

UV Light Air Purifiers: What Are They?

As to exactly what they are and how they do their job, we’ve been covering this topic a good deal lately, so we’ll just hit the high notes. If you want a very detailed response, we’d suggest reading our recent post about how UV air purifiers work.

Put simply, UV purifiers work by using UV light radiation, or more specifically UV-C, a frequency that mimics the anti-microbial light given off by the sun. This light is installed in your HVAC system, and helps clean the air of mold, bacteria, and common health-compromising pathogens.

Are UV Lights Effective?

Put in a word, we’d happily say “yes!” However, it’s important to note what this system can and cannot do. Whether you choose UV light purifiers, air filters, or both (which is the most effective solution) depends on what exactly you’re looking for. UV light purifiers are exceptionally good at performing specific functions, which we mentioned in brief above.

A UV light purifier is great at treating and removing:

• Mold spore. To be an accepted UV light system, the purifier must be capable of removing 95% or more of mold spore it comes into contact with in the air. While a UV light isn’t going to prevent mold all on it’s own, as cleanliness and moisture control are still critically important, it does a great job of removing large amounts of mold spore from the incoming air in your home.
• Bacteria. Many of the common bacteria associated with colds, flu, simple illness, and symptoms like lethargy, cough, and sneezing are caught and eradicated by a UV light purifier. This makes them awesome at cutting back on the bacteria in your home, providing you with cleaner, healthier, and more sanitary air.
• Odors. Many of the bacteria that cause illness are also responsible for that musty smell many homeowners in Allentown wrestle with on a consistent basis. UV light purifiers are extremely effective at helping with this, making your air fresher and cleaner-smelling as well as healthier overall!

In addition to all of these benefits, UV light systems are also fairly effective at removing smoke, and are somewhat effective at helping with dust and pet dander. However, if you are specifically looking to treat dust and dander, an air filter is still going to be more effective overall. This is why we stated that using both in-tandem is really the best course of action. It gives you full coverage against everything, massively improving the overall air quality of your home.

Indoor Air Quality Solutions in Allentown, PA

Looking for the best and most effective means of treating your in-home Pennsylvania air? Contact Jack Lehr Heating, Cooling & Electric! Our air quality experts are equipped with the knowledge, training, and experience needed to help you find the best solution to meet your needs.

Contact us online today to learn more, or give us a call at 610-596-9967 to set a date for your appointment!