Winter colds are a constant problem in the Dover, DE area, and chances are you or your family have already experienced the misery they can bring. Colds are common in the winter for a number of reasons, but luckily, there’s an easy way to help cut down on them – and other types of illnesses to boot. A UV air purifier installed in your furnace ducts could be just the thing to shut them down.
Why Winter?
Germs circulate in our homes during the winter for a number of reasons. When the weather gets cold, we rarely keep our doors or windows open for long, which means that any germs or bugs in the home will circulate and recirculate constantly – spreading from one family member to another.
Furthermore, winter air is dry air and the lack of humidity can dry out your sinuses – one of your body’s most potent natural defenses against colds. That leaves you more vulnerable to germs and colds just when they seem to infest your home the most.
How UV Air Purifiers Help
Ultraviolet lights, while safe for humans and pets (they’re often used at rock concerts to make white clothes glow in the dark) are lethal to germs and bacteria: either killing them outright, or fusing their DNA so they can’t replicate. It works remarkably well, provided you have the right spot picked out for it.
Placement Is Everything
Obviously, you can’t cover your entire home in UV lights, nor can you buy a single giant UV light to cover the whole home. (Think of the electric bills). But you can choose a spot that does the most good with the least amount of time and effort. That spot sits at the apex of your ducts, where the furnace blows heated air through the system into your home. (The air conditioner does the same thing with the ducts in the summer.)
Here’s how it works: the UV lights shine across the length and width of the ducts. As the furnace blows, the germs in the air are forced through the light, as are any other biological contaminants. That gradually scrubs the air clean every time you run your HVAC system, providing regular and consistent coverage for the entire household. Best of all, they have few moving parts, and provided you change the light bulbs periodically, you can expect the system to provide reliable service for many years to come.
Who Benefits
UV air purifiers work well in any household with concerns about indoor air quality. In particular, however, the following households should look into them.
- Homes with new babies, who will need extra protection against germs.
- Homes with elderly residents, who are more vulnerable to germs.
- Homes with people suffering from asthma or similar conditions.
- Homes with people who work in fields vulnerable to germs and colds, such as doctors, bus drivers and police officers.
If UV lights sound like a good fit for you, give the professionals at Atlantic Refrigeration and Air Conditioning a call!