Choosing an HVAC Contractor for UV Lights
UV stands for ultraviolet, which is a kind of radiation or light. You might be familiar with using sunscreen, clothes, and sunglasses to protect yourself from the sun’s UV radiation, but there is a potential upside to it, too. Many pieces of modern technology can emit UV light for positive uses, ranging from sanitizing toothbrushes and sterilizing water to getting germs off of surfaces. You can also have UV lights installed in your HVAC system for sanitary and indoor air quality purposes. Deciding to do this can be a smart move for your home and your family’s health. However, you’ll need to choose an HVAC contractor to install the UV lights in your home.
Start By Studying Up
Start your search for an HVAC professional for your UV lights by finding out what the insurance and licensing requirements are in your state for contractors. You’ll need other pieces of information just to get going. That includes the model of your home’s current system. Gather everything you have available about its maintenance history. If you have any particular points of concern or specific rooms that you are worried about, make a list of those, too.
Get Referrals
Consult resources you trust for potential referrals. That might mean some conversation with family and friends, but you might also want to talk to neighbors and co-workers for anyone that they’ve worked with and trust. See if there are any local trade organizations in your area that might have recommendations that you can follow up on.
Consult References
When you talk to a few contractors, be sure you ask them for references. Then, follow up with those references. Ask the reference if the installation or service call was done within their expectations. That might yield subjective answers you can use for guidance, but you can also ask for concrete details. Those might include whether or not a job was done within a specified budget and on time.
Be Ready for a Home Evaluation
Whoever your contractor is, they’re likely to look over the whole system as it is and assess your home. Even if you have a specific spot in mind where you want your UV lights installed, they need to make sure the broader system is functioning properly and that the work they will do is actually the best option for you. They might need to do this before giving you an itemized estimate in writing. This might also be known as a contractor proposal or bid. Check the costs of all your bids for warranties and costs. The cheapest bid might not automatically be your best bet. Once you do find the bid you like from a contractor you are comfortable with, sign it and schedule the work.
Two Kinds of UV Lights You Can Use in Your HVAC System
When you want to sanitize the air in your HVAC system using UV lights, you generally have two kinds you can choose from. The first category is known as coil sanitizing lights, and the other is air sanitizing lights. Each kind has a different way of working with its own benefits.
Coil sanitizing lights work for central air conditioning systems with an indoor coil. This is the prime breeding ground for bacteria and mold growth. That’s because the coil condenses moisture from your home’s air. That’s how it dehumidifies the air during air conditioning cycles and removes heat that’s in that moisture. You can get coil sanitizing lights in both single- or dual-lamp models. In either case, they shine right on the surface of the coil, where they do their work continuously.
Air sanitizing lights get installed into the physical ductwork of your system that brings the return air through. These are intended to kill mold and germs that are airborne. Manufacturers make these in both U-shaped and stick configurations. Your HVAC professional should be able to tell you which of these two kinds of lights would best benefit your home, but they might also suggest a combination of both for maximum effectiveness.
Why UV Lights Help an HVAC System
UV rays emit certain wavelengths of light that harmful pollutants absorb. These wavelengths kill pollutants, germs, mold spores, fungi, and bacteria at the DNA level. This helps inhibit mold growth and might prevent certain illnesses from spreading. The air in your home will feel and smell better. Anyone who is very susceptible to illness is likely to enjoy better health and improved conditions. Everyone will also be less likely to be subjected to eye and skin irritations or respiratory ailments.
Your HVAC system might even run more efficiently. Even if things don’t impact the health of you, your family, and your pets, microbial matter can accumulate inside an HVAC system. In time, there might be enough to start inhibiting the efficiency of your system. It will have to work harder to push through the warm or cool air you rely on to manage your home’s temperature. UV lights are incredibly energy-efficient. The energy that they use is a minimal investment compared to the increase in HVAC system efficiency that your home might enjoy as a result of their installation.
Peace of mind is probably going to be your biggest benefit from having an HVAC professional install UV lights in your home’s system. You’ll know that you’re taking advantage of modern technology to keep your home healthy, and you’re helping your system run easier at the same time.
The Benefits of Professional Installation
Using an HVAC professional to install UV lights in your system has many benefits over trying to do it yourself. For starters, if you hire someone who has done this before, they’re going to get the work done faster than you might, so the disruption to your day is minimized. That’s just less time your HVAC system is off and your family possibly being uncomfortable.
Secondly, they can help you choose the specific makes and models of UV light that would work best with your home. Their work should also come with a warranty. While many UV light manufacturers might offer warranties on their products, that won’t extend to the actual installation work. For that matter, not having a professional do the installation could mean potentially voiding the warranty on your HVAC system or even jeopardizing your homeowner’s insurance.
More than anything, a professional means the work will be done right. They’ll do the work safely, so your home and family aren’t put at risk due to errors or accidents, large or small. They’ll also make sure the UV lights work the way they’re supposed to.
Professional Installation Is the Way to Go
When you want UV lights installed in your home’s HVAC system, your best bet is to let a professional do it. They’ll have the tools and experience to install everything safely and properly, and they’ll likely get it done quickly because they’re familiar with the project. Choosing an HVAC contractor to install UV lights means you’re utilizing a professional familiar with working with many different parts of a home.
Here at Trusted Heating & Cooling, we have experience in doing both AC and furnace ductwork, repairs, installation, and maintenance. We take pride in delivering customer-driven services throughout the Austin, TX, area. Contact us right away to learn more about what we can do for you and your home.
