UV stands for ultraviolet, a spectrum of light we can’t see. But we can often feel it when we go out in the sunshine: it’s what causes our skin to tan and burn. At lower levels, UV lights or blacklights are a common fixture at rock concerts, and in dark rides at amusement parks. They interact with chemicals in your laundry detergent to make your white clothes appear to glow in the dark. But UV lights can do more than just provide amusements or help your tan at the beach. They can form a very powerful weapon against germs and colds.
Winter Colds are Stubborn
We tend to have the cards stacked against us when it comes to winter colds, due to a number of factors:
- Dry air. When temperatures fall, the air becomes much drier, which has the effects of drying out your sinuses and mucous membranes. They are your body’s primary means of defense against colds and illnesses, and when they dry our, you’re left more vulnerable.
- Circulating germs. We keep our homes closed up tight in the winter as a way of retaining the heat. It’s a good strategy, but it has an unintended side effect: allowing germs in the air to recirculate through your home. That can pass illnesses among your family members very quickly.
- Holiday travels. When people go out of town for the holidays, they often bring colds and flu bugs back with them, either from their destination or from transit spots like airports. That can affect you even if you didn’t go out of town for the holidays.
UV Lights Kill Germs
While UV lights are harmless to humans and other multi-cellular organisms (such as dogs, cats and other household pets), germs cannot tolerate them. Simply coming into contact with the light will either kill them of fuse their DNA (which renders them incapable of replicating). Harnessing that power will provide a potent weapon against illnesses in your home.
Obviously, you can’t simply post UV lights up all over. You need a spot that’s going to be exposed to the maximum amount of air for a minimum amount of space. The apex to your ducts makes the perfect spots. As your heater runs (or your AC unit in the summer), it circulates the air in your entire home through the system. By stretching UV light across the ducts, it will sterilize the air as your HVAC system runs. Germs will pass through the light and be rendered inert, resulting in cleaner and healthier air in your entire home.
Though they require professional installation, UV air purifiers have few moving parts and don’t require much maintenance beyond changing the light bulbs themselves when they wear out. That means they can provide you with many years of reliable service, keeping your home and family safe from illnesses of all varieties.
If you think a UV air purifier would be a good fit for your Lewes, DE home, call the pros at Atlantic Refrigeration and Air Conditioning today!