How To Use HVAC UV Light Benefits To Reduce Disease Transmission Product Solutions | Applications | Benefits | Infection Mitigation
Keeping Occupants Healthy
HVAC systems can be a blessing or a curse when it comes to disease transmission and infection control. In fact, the transmission of infectious airborne diseases such as tuberculosis, influenza and the common cold can be accelerated or controlled by a building’s HVAC equipment.
four ways in which an HVAC system can promote indoor environmental quality and, indirectly, building occupants’ overall health.Supplying clean air to occupants susceptible to illness
Containing/exhausting contaminated air outside the building envelope Diluting or filtering indoor air with clean outdoor air Cleaning indoor air A number of strategies can be used to achieve the above conditions, ranging from ventilation to pressurization. Perhaps the most effective method for cleaning indoor air through an HVAC system, however, is ultraviolet-C (UV-C) technology. And, at an average of $0.15 /CFM, Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation might be the most affordable means of improving indoor air quality (IAQ) and reducing disease transmission.
UV Lighting for HVAC Systems
Light in the UV-C wavelength eliminates and/or prevents the buildup of organic material on the surfaces of cooling coils, drain pans, and interior duct surfaces. This improves airflow, returns and maintains the heat-transfer levels of cooling coils to “as-built” conditions and reduces maintenance.
the UV-C wavelength kills 90 percent of all microorganisms living on HVAC air ducts and evaporator coils, depending on light intensity, length of exposure, UV lamp placement and lamp life cycle. Moreover, UV-C continues to destroy pathogens 24/7/365, as air cycles through an air handling unit (AHU).
UV-C’s ability to decontaminate the air flowing through a building’s HVAC system can be most beneficial where communicable diseases are more common, such as office buildings, schools, healthcare settings, municipal offices, etc. An improperly maintained HVAC system in these environments can promote disease transmission as it recirculates those same germs throughout the building. Conversely, installing UV lamps, with their ability to kill all known microorganisms, can prevent disease transmission and/or cross contamination.
In addition to improving indoor air quality, UV-C can yield other HVAC UV light benefits when installed in a building’s air handler including maximizing HVAC system efficiency, thereby reducing energy use and costs.