UV Technology
Is your home making you sick?
To understand why many of today's health problems are a direct result of your home, we need to look back a few years. During the energy crisis of the early 1970's, highly insulated "air tight" homes became popular because of their potential to reduce energy costs.
Within a few years complaints started to arise as excessive moisture was causing indoor air pollution and health issues, among other problems.
Even today energy-efficient homes are predisposed to the problem. Excessive humidity and airborne pollutants cause more productive microbial activity, leading to issues such as mould, germs, bacteria and viruses. Great concentrations of these contaminants cause more allergic reactions and sickness, for longer periods of time.
Mould: A Survivor
Mould is so difficult to control because it thrives on very little and grows rapidly, producing spores, volatile organic compounds and other toxins. One organism can multiply to trillions in less than three weeks. The interior of your ductwork and air conditioning equipment provide an ideal environment for mould growth especially in the air conditioner's inside drain-pan where it is dark, damp, and filled with nutrients.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 60% of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) problems and allergies may be mould-related. Some IAQ diagnosticians and practitioners today say this figure may be as high as 80%. The increased usage of air conditioning systems almost directly parallels the increase of allergies and IAQ problems.
As mould and bacteria grow on coils and in drain-pans, they are disseminated through the ducts to occupied spaces. Some mould products (toxins) produce serious and sometimes life-threatening reactions, including allergy, asthma, hypersensitivity, pneumonitis, and in some extreme cases bleeding lung disease.
Additionally, mould creates a troublesome maintenance problem. Its activity results in dirty coils, loss of air-flow, loss of heat exchange efficiency, dirty and sometimes plugged drain-pans and excessive energy use.
UVC technology helps handle system mould
Our company has found that the most successful way to handle system mould is through ultraviolet (UV) germicidal lights. These UV systems are a recent breakthrough in protecting the health of a home.
Ultraviolet light in the "C" band (UVC) has been used for more than 65 years to kill micro-organisms in hospitals, barber shops, laboratories, pharmaceutical plants and at the U.S. nation's Center for Disease Control.
Residential ultraviolet units have been independently tested and proven to be effective in killing mould and bacteria quickly and effectively. The UVC energy attacks the organism's DNA and either destroys it immediately or prevents it from reproducing.
For most people, the original motivation for installing the lights is to abate IAQ complaints and/or allergies. However, they are also pleased to learn that many hidden odours are also eliminated with UVC technology.