Air Purifiers vs. UV Lights: What’s Ideal for My Needs? 

Indoor air quality is a concern for every homeowner. If you lack the right air quality products, indoor air is often two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. But with so many air cleaning methods on the market, how do you find out which one is right for your home and family? Here’s a comparison of two popular options—air purifiers and UV lights.

How Do Air Purifiers Work?

Air purifiers are built to increase indoor air quality by filtering dust, tobacco smoke, and pollen from the air. Some also capture odor-causing molecules for a clean scent. Air purifiers are available in a portable form, which means they can only work in one room at a time.

There are different types of air purifiers, including mechanical filters, activated carbon filters, ozone generators, electronic air purifiers, and ionization systems. They all function slightly differently, but the goal is the same—to capture airborne particles. However, once allergens settle to the floor, purifiers can no longer trap and remove them.

One consistent problem with a number of air purifiers is that they create ozone. Whether in its pure form or mixed with other chemicals, ozone can be detrimental to health. Breathing ozone affects lung function and enhances the risk of throat irritation, coughing, chest pain and lung inflammation. This is an ironic side effect, because a homeowner would only use an air purifier to improve indoor air quality, not make it worse! Based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommendations, homeowners are encouraged to rely on proven approaches of managing indoor air pollution. These methods include eliminating or controlling pollutant sources, adding outdoor air ventilation and using any proven methods of air cleaning that doesn’t add or produce ozone.

How Do UV Lights Work?

Ultraviolet-C (UVC) rays are the highest energy portion of the UV radiation spectrum. This type of light is called germicidal because it inactivates most viruses and eliminates bacteria and molds. UV lamps have been used as a sterilization system in hospitals and food production for decades. When placed in your HVAC system, UV lights can dramatically increase indoor air quality.

The process is surprisingly simple: an ultraviolet lamp is installed in your ventilation system, where it runs continuously. Any time the air conditioner or furnace activates, indoor air containing particles moves near the light. Airborne microorganisms are inactivated after just 10 seconds of contact, rendering them unable to reproduce until they die soon after UVC exposure. It is encouraged that UV lights be installed in conjunction with both high efficiency filtration and ventilation devices. All three work in tandem to produce the best, most pure indoor air for your home.

Air Purifiers vs. UV Lights – Which is Better?

Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing encourages you to consider installing UV lights for maximum indoor air quality. This solution can bring relief to people struggling with asthma and allergies, particularly in sunny, humid climates where microorganisms thrive. Unlike air purifiers, UV lights can:

• • Filter the air in your entire home

• • Eradicate the majority of viruses, bacteria and mold

• • Lengthen your HVAC system’s lifespan

• • Avoid the likelihood of producing ozone

If you decide a UV germicidal light is best for your home, chat with one of our indoor air quality Experts today. We can recommend the best combination of systems based on your HVAC equipment and indoor air quality needs. Keep in mind, you should still have an HVAC air filtration system to collect dust, pollen and pet dander since UV lights can’t affect inanimate allergens. To learn more about different air cleaning methods, or to schedule a free home health consultation, call us at 866-397-3787 right away!