HVAC UV Light Benefits

Originally posted at: https://www.light-sources.com/blog/hvac-uv-light-benefits/

Ultraviolet (UV) light has powerful germ-killing properties and provides advantages to a wide range of sterilization applications such as the many HVAC UV light benefits. UV light emitted in the UVC range is proven to kill many types of microorganisms including bacteria and viruses, even mold and mildew. Other types of UV lamps such as UV ozone lamps also eliminate foul odor by eliminating volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air that cause odor and illness.

Most Important HVAC UV Light Benefits

The two most important benefits of UV lights in HVAC systems are that they prevent mold and mildew from accumulating inside the equipment, which makes your HVAC system run more efficiently and reduces energy consumption. The other greatest benefit is improving indoor air quality (IAQ) by eliminating bacteria and viruses that circulate throughout a home or office.

UV lights in HVAC systems provide a healthier living environment and improve efficient HVAC operation as well as providing the following benefits:

• Kills germs, viruses, and bacteria.

• Eliminates mold, mildew, and other allergens.

• Removes volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

• Eliminates foul odors.

• Improves HVAC efficiency.

• Reduces HVAC maintenance.

• Lowers monthly expenses and energy consumption.

HVAC UV Light Benefits Equipment

UVC germicidal lamps harness the power of UV radiation to kill microorganisms and when installed in heating, venting. and cooling (HVAC) systems, UV lamps provide many benefits. UVC radiation kills bacteria and mold that can build up inside an HVAC’s coils, which keep equipment cleaner, running more efficiently and requiring less maintenance. The inside of an HVAC unit is dark and damp, and a prime location for the build-up of mold, fungi, and bacteria. UV lights help to eliminate contaminants inside the HVAC system and in air-ducts that could be prone to spreading disease.

When UV lights are professionally installed inside an HVAC system, they target the coils where contamination is likely and prevent the growth and build-up of pollutants such as mold, mildew, pollen, dust, smoke, and soot. UV lights prevent the build-up of these contaminants which can reduce the performance of your HVAC unit and provide cleaner air to circulate throughout your home or office.

HVAC UV Light Benefits Indoor Air Quality

HVAC UV lights also prevent the spread of mold spores, fungi, bacteria, and viruses throughout your living area which significantly improves indoor air quality. UV lights help to prevent sickness from spreading by removing airborne pathogens before they spread throughout your living area. Killing these contaminants that cause illness at the source reduces allergies and asthma symptoms in people with asthma and respiratory illnesses.

When HVAC UV lights kill VOCs, they do more than just eliminate odor. VOCs are also known to cause many health problems including throat, nose, and eye irritation as well as headaches and nausea. By eliminating VOCs from circulating throughout your indoor air, you are improving the air quality and health of everyone in the building.

UVC Germicidal Lamps for HVAC

LightSources is a leading global supplier of high-tech germicidal UVC lamps designed and engineered for optimum germ-killing power. We offer UVC germicidal lamps in various sizes, types, and styles to suit any sterilization need including UV air disinfection, water and surface sterilization. Our lighting engineers offer custom designed and prototype solutions to meet the demands of OEMs large and small.

185nm UV Lamp for Ozone Disinfection

A 185nm UV Lamp generates ultraviolet energy at 185nm which is proven to effectively produce ozone, a natural sanitizer and deodorizer. A 185 nm UV light produces UV energy in wavelengths shorter than 220 nm which decompresses oxygen, O², to produce ozone, O³. UV germicidal lamps are designed to emit the most effective wavelength of UV radiation, measured in nanometers (nm). 185 nm lamps produce ozone, while 254 nm is an optimal wavelength to target the DNA of viruses, fungi and bacteria.

Ultraviolet radiation is proven to instantly penetrate the cells of harmful, disease causing microorganisms and rearrange the genetic material to render the cell unable to replicate. These harmful germs including protozoa and algae are unable to reproduce and are considered dead. UV germicidal lamps are proven to be highly effective in many surface, air and water disinfection applications with 185 nm ozone lamps providing many benefits.

Low Pressure and Medium Pressure Germicidal Lamps

The two main types of UV germicidal lamps are low pressure and medium pressure Mercury discharge lamps. Some low pressure germicidal lamps will look very similar to typical fluorescent lamps although the glass tube does not contain a fluorescent phosphor. The glass is also made of either soda lime glass or fused quartz as opposed to an ordinary borosilicate glass in typical fluorescent lamps.

This is to allow the optimum wavelength produced by a Mercury arc of either 185nm or 254nm of UV light to pass through unmodified. Low-pressure Mercury discharge lamps will still produce a visible light due to Mercury radiation bands.

Medium pressure Mercury discharge lamps look very similar to a high intensity discharge (HID) lamps and produce a broadband of UVC radiation rather than a single, narrow band line. These broadband UVC germicidal lamps produce a bright bluish white light and are common in many industrial water treatment applications due to the intense radiation source.

Low Pressure Amalgam UV Lamps

Low pressure Amalgam UV lamps provide stable performance over a wide range of ambient temperature changes with 3 to 4 times higher power density. Amalgam lamps are preferred for long-term applications and are available with either spot or pellet Amalgam technology. Spot Amalgam technology uses Mercury Amalgam applied to the inner surface of the lamp, whereas pellet Amalgam technology has Mercury Amalgam on the outside of the lamp arc.

Amalgam lamps provide some benefits over other lamps with the vapor pressure controlled by location and composition of Amalgam and allow for higher lamp current operation with robust filaments.

Low Pressure Amalgam Lamps

Ozone Producing 185 nm UV Lamp Benefits

Ozone Air Purification – Ozone Carries Through the Air

Ozone producing 185 nm UV lamps offer additional benefits and are required to oxidize specific organic compounds. One of the major advantages of ozone disinfection lamps is that ozone is carried through the air to places where UV radiation does not directly reach. 185 nm UV light is used in many UV air purification systems to effectively sanitize and clean the air in many HVAC systems.

Ozone Water Purification – Stronger than Chlorination

185 nm lamps are also very common in many water sterilization applications. Ozone is proven to be very effective over a wide range of pH environments and reacts quickly with viruses, bacteria and protozoans. Ozone provides a very strong oxidizing power and a short reaction time, with stronger germicidal properties then chlorination in many applications. Ozone does not add harmful chemicals to the water and eliminates many protozoans the chlorine does not such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium.

Ozone Oxidation – Powerful Water Disinfection

Also provides excellent oxidation in disinfection properties which makes it popular in drinking water treatment systems. 185 nm lamps are convenient in that ozone may be added to water treatment systems at several points such as during pre-oxidation, intermediate and final disinfection treatment processes. Ozone water disinfection is used worldwide in many applications including ballast water treatment systems for ships which are globally enforced to protect the planet’s oceans.

185nm UV Lamps from LightSources

LightSources and LightTech offer 185nm UV lamps manufactured with high-quality quartz glass. The type of fused quartz used to make the envelope, or the bulb, of the germicidal lamp determines the wavelength of UV emissions. Ozone is an extremely effective deodorizer and active oxidizer, destroying microorganisms on contact. The LightSources Group offers Very High (VH) UV germicidal lamps which produce UV energy at 185nm as well as Low (L) lamps which produce 254nm.

Our L lamps are designed with a specially doped fused quartz to prohibit the emission of 185 nm, while our VH lamps are designed with clear fused quartz to allow the emission of energy at 185 nm. These 185 nm UV lights are found in a wide range of air treatment systems and water sterilization applications. VH lamps are effective in reducing total organic compounds (TOCs) and are commonly used in HVAC UV air purification systems.

LightSources and LightTech offer UV germicidal lamp solutions for any application, with a wide range of patented, high-tech lamp products as well as custom designed solutions available. We design, engineer and manufacture lamps with two types of quartz spliced together to produce specific amounts of ozone. Our ozone disinfection lamps provide many benefits including:

• High-quality quartz glass construction

• Effective deodorization and oxidation

• Customized proprietary design options available

• Effective in a wide range of air and water sterilization applications

The combined strengths of LightTech in Europe with LightSources in the United States allows the LightSources Group the ability to support OEMs worldwide with vast resources and high-tech lamp solutions. By offering a wide selection of standard products as well as customized solutions, our clients maintain replacement sales within their OEM market for increased revenue and repeat business.

UV Light for Medical Use

Ultraviolet (UV) light is used for many purposes that promote health and wellness as there are many applications that harness the benefits of UV light for medical use.

UV Lamps Provide Many Health Benefits

UV light is measured in wavelengths mainly in the spectrum of 100 nanometer (nm) to 380 nm and is divided into three regions: UVA (320 – 400 nm), UVB (280 – 320 nm), and UVC (100 – 280 nm). UVC is short wave UV radiation and is completely absorbed by the ozone layer when emitted by the sun. UVA and UVB are the rays that reach the earth and are associated with the common sunburn as well as providing benefits like vitamin D and many other phototherapy treatments.

Scientists and lamp engineers such as the knowledgeable engineers at LightSources design and engineer UVC germicidal lamps to emit 254 nm, the most effective wavelength to kill viruses and bacteria. 185 nm ozone lamps are also effective in many sterilization applications. UV lamps designed to emit UVA and UVB wavelengths provide benefits to the medical industry in phototherapy lamps, as these wavelength emissions are proven effective to treat a host of medical conditions.

UV lamps provide many benefits in two distinct areas:

UVC Germicidal Lamps – UV light provides many benefits to the healthcare industry and many other environments with UVC germicidal lamps that eliminate harmful viruses and bacteria in the air, in water and on surfaces.

UV Phototherapy Lamps – UV lamps are used for medical phototherapy purposes, which is also called light therapy, where UV lamps are specifically designed to treat certain medical conditions.

LightSources and LightTech are world leading manufacturers of innovative UV lamps used in germicidal and phototherapy applications, providing patented lamp products with first-to-market technology and solutions.

UV Light for Medical Use in Germicidal Applications

Germicidal UVC lamps provide health benefits to the medical industry and are used to provide effective sterilization to many environments. Germicidal lamps are used in medical facilities, doctor’s offices, and hospitals as well as many public places and commercial institutions to stop the spread of disease. UVC germicidal lamps sterilize that air when installed in HVAC systems or in upper room air irradiation units to prevent airborne illnesses. Germicidal lamps are also used to eliminate harmful microorganisms and water and on surfaces.

Hospitals sterilize surgical equipment as well as surfaces such as in operating rooms and patient rooms. UVC robots are utilized in many hospitals and public places to further eliminate harmful pathogens. UVC light used in addition to regular cleaning protocol is proven to significantly decrease virus and bacteria load and can even eliminate superbugs like antibiotic resistant bacteria. UV sterilization helps to promote health and wellness in many public places such as workplaces, schools, libraries, airports, bus stations, and residential homes.

UV light promotes health and wellness in many medical applications with effective sterilization on surfaces, in water and in air sterilization systems.

UV Light for Medical Use with Phototherapy Lamps

Medical phototherapy lamps are used under a doctor’s supervision with specially designed lamps administering UVA, UVB and narrowband UVB emissions. Phototherapy UV lamps treat a host of medical conditions such as variety of skin conditions, mood disorders and successfully treat neonatal jaundice. Some of the most common applications of UV light for medical use include effective treatment for many skin conditions including acne, eczema, psoriasis, and vitiligo.

UV Light for Acne Treatment – acne vulgaris affects more than 85% of adolescents and is the most common skin condition in the U.S. a combination of red light and blue light is proven to be effective in treating acne to prevent new outbreaks and alleviate symptoms of current outbreaks. Blue light emitted at 415 nm is effective at killing bacteria to prevent acne outbreaks and red light emissions between 600 to 700 nm stimulates cell regeneration, healing and soothes inflammation.

UV Light for Eczema – eczema is a common skin condition which affects more than 30 million Americans with various types and symptoms. Eczema patients may experience different symptoms which can include dry, rough, scaly, itchy and inflamed patches of skin. UVA, UVB and narrowband UVB phototherapy lamps have been proven effective to improve symptoms and prevent outbreaks of eczema.

UV Light for Psoriasis – psoriasis causes patients to experience patches of dry, scaly and itchy skin with outbreaks of raised, hardened lesions. Topical ointments can provide relief for mild symptoms although UV phototherapy lamps can be more effective to help patients with severe psoriasis symptoms.

UV Light for Vitiligo – vitiligo is a skin condition that is considered an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the pigment forming cells in the body, melanocytes, causing white patches to appear on the skin. A UVB phototherapy lamp for vitiligo used in combination with medication is effective to put pigment back into the white patches.

UV light provides these medical benefits to these skin conditions and also treats forms of mood conditions such as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD.

UV Light for Depression – many people who live in the northern hemisphere experience seasonal depression during the winter months. Symptoms of SAD are like symptoms of nonseasonal forms of depression which can become severe and include social withdrawal, weight gain, fatigue, and a lack of interest in normal activities. Phototherapy lamps help to combat symptoms when the days get shorter with less natural sunlight and are considered the most effective form of treatment for SAD.

UV light for neonatal jaundice – this condition occurs in newborns and causes yellowing of the skin and the whites of eyes as toxins build in the body from underdeveloped liver function. Treatment with UV blue light prevents brain damage that can occur with elevated levels of bilirubin in the blood and breaks down bilirubin into substances that are safely excreted through waste. UV lights to treat jaundice are also called bili-lights for this reason.

LightSources Offers Quality UV Lamps for Medical Use

LightSources and LightTech design and engineer UV medical phototherapy lamps to treat all these conditions as well as UV germicidal lamps for medical use with effective sterilization and disinfection. Our vast resources including a state-of-the-art glass factory in Europe combined with the leading high-tech lamp designers and engineers provide the most effective and cost-efficient solution for nearly any application requiring UV light for medical use.

Custom Designed PLL Lamps

Germicidal compact lamps are useful in a wide range of applications and industries, including air and surface disinfection. This type of lamp is broken down into one of two primary categories, short (PLS) or long (PLL). PLL lamps provide higher energy density in a compact footprint versus that of traditional linear lamps.

Due to this compact nature, these low-pressure mercury UVC PLL lamps provide germicidal solutions in applications where full-size germicidal lamps may not be an option. Regardless of type, PLL and PLS compact germicidal lamps feature high germicidal efficacy and can aid in the reduction/disinfection of viruses, bacteria, and harmful pathogens in air, water and surface applications.

Compact UVC Germicidal PLL Lamps

Compact PLL germicidal lamps are highly effective at providing disinfection solutions in cost-efficient, geometrically small foot prints. PLL lighting has become a popular choice with plug in versatility typically available in either 2-pin or 4-pin bases.

Germicidal Applications for UVC PLL Lamps

UVC PLL lamps designed to emit ultraviolet radiation in the range of 254 nm is proven to be extremely effective at eliminating various types of harmful pathogens including many types of viruses and bacteria. UVC germicidal lamps are also proven to prevent the buildup of mold and mildew in many environments. UVC ozone lamps are engineered to emit precisely 185 nm of UV radiation and provide sterilization and oxidizing effects such as order control.

UVC lamps designed to produce ozone work in the air without needing direct contact as opposed to 254 nm lamps which must be pointed at the point of sterilization without obstruction. Many types of sterilization systems utilize UVC lamps including short and long PLL lamps to provide a healthier environment with purified air, sterilized water and surfaces.

Germicidal UVC lamps eliminate harmful microorganisms in water and even kill viruses and bacteria that chlorine does not. Compact CFL UVC bulbs provide sterilization solutions to many surface disinfection systems with countless application uses in public, commercial, industrial, and residential settings. UVC lamps help to provide a safer environment in hospitals, restaurants, schools, public transportation systems and more with endless application possibilities.

LightSources Offers Custom Engineered PLL Lamps

LightSources and valued partner LightTech are leading global suppliers of UV lamps providing lighting solutions to a wide range of industries and applications. LightTech’s state-of-the-art, modern glass factory in Europe offers custom design and engineering of UV lamps and UVC germicidal lamps, including compact plug-in lamp solutions. CFL bulbs from the LightSources group are available in both quartz glass and soft glass produced from the finest materials with strict quality control.

The high-tech lighting engineers at LightSources offer custom-designed and engineered UVC lamps with custom phosphor blends, prototype design solutions for various types of sterilization systems and production for low and high volume requirements. We follow a strict quality policy aligned with our ISO9001:2015 registration and produce fluorescent and Mercury lamps from the highest of quality materials. Our CFL bulbs are designed to emit 90% of total rated UVC electromagnetic radiation for high-performance up to end-of-life.

UVC Virus Killers: Germicidal Lamps and Far UVC

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to stress the importance of utilizing effective Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) methods, and germicidal lamps are gaining in popularity as UVC virus killers.  Ultraviolet (UV) based technologies are promising IPC tools showing high efficacy in killing many types of beta coronaviruses, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.

As of March 29, 2023, the toll of the global health pandemic as reported by the World Health Organization, WHO, reports 761,402,282 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 6,887,000 deaths in 229 countries and territories and 102,697,566 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 1,117,054 deaths in the United States.

UVC Virus Inactivation and Efficacy in Reducing the Spread of Disease

The Federal Drug Administration, FDA, offers additional information for businesses and consumers to learn more about ultraviolet light virus inactivation and its efficacy in reducing the spread of disease. UVC radiation at the correct wavelength has been used for decades for the effective disinfection of air, water, and surfaces and is engineered in UVC germicidal lamps. UV-C light kills bacteria such as tuberculosis and many viruses, including beta coronaviruses.

UV-C Light Kills Viruses MERS, SARS, and SARS-CoV-2

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that typically cause mild-to-moderate respiratory infections in humans, although coronaviruses are known to infect both humans and animals. They can often spread in animals but can jump to humans and continue spreading in humans with viral mutations. Coronaviruses are named partly due to the crown-like spiked protrusions on the surface.

Some types of coronaviruses may cause illnesses like the common cold, although severe acute respiratory syndrome viruses (SARS-CoV) can be severe, such as the fatal outbreak of SARS in 2002 and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in 2012. SARS-CoV-2 is another severe acute respiratory syndrome virus that causes COVID-19.

Ultraviolet light virus inactivation is highly effective at eliminating the threat of coronaviruses, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus, when administered at the proper wavelength and dosage. According to a scientific report, UV-C irradiation is highly effective in inactivating SARS-CoV-2 replication; the response of UV virus inactivation depends on both the virus concentration and the UVC dose. The results of this study and many others show that the SARS-CoV-2 is extremely sensitive to UVC light.

UVC Light Kill Viruses And Other Harmful Pathogens

According to a study published in 2020 and reported by Biological Consulting Services, UVC virus inactivation was determined against various harmful pathogens with results including:

• Influenza A H1N1 – 99.999% reduction

• SARS-CoV-2 virus – 99.999% reduction

• Polio Virus LSc 1 – 99.99% reduction

• Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) – 99.99 reduction

• Salmonella species, 6 variations – 99.99% reduction

UV virus elimination is very effective when using the right type of UVC germicidal lamps and the proper dosage, and environment such as line of sight disinfection on a surface not contaminated with dirt that can affect UV inactivation results. This is why ultraviolet light virus disinfection is recommended in addition to manual cleaning practices for maximum effectiveness.

UVC Virus Disinfection in Air, Water, and Surfaces

UVC germicidal lamps are typically designed to emit wavelengths at precisely 254 nm, proven to be highly effective at penetrating the DNA of microorganisms to render them harmless. Far UVC lamps are gaining in popularity and showing high germicidal efficacy while being safer to operate in the presence of humans. Standard germicidal UVC lamps should operate in non-occupied spaces and can be found in upper room ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) systems, HVAC systems, and other disinfection devices like UVC robots programmed to run through hospital hallways or patient rooms that are unoccupied.

Not all UVC germicidal lamps are created equal, and it is important to work with an experienced ultraviolet lamp designer to ensure effective germicidal properties.