ULTRAVIOLET — UV. The truth is that germicidal UV has been used for more than one decade in the Medical industry. Because of the ability to destroy micro-organisms (Viruses, bacteria, germs), the industrial and medical fields have found UV light to be very dependable and they can be easily installed. This is a plus and you will continue to see them installing more and more.
Now about ozone. Yes there is ozone in most everything. But most is generally exaggerated. We all have fluorescent lamps in our homes and electric motors. And how about your copy machine. Some not all have electrostatic air-cleaners. All of these and more produce ozone. But the United States Government has rules that must be fallen, they must be below.04 parts per million. These are considered to be safety limits.
Utraviolet violet light or lamps. These tubes are or look just like a fluorescent tube. They require a starting ballast to work. Cleaning your air ducts may be a good idea but it is very expensive, takes a long time. Then in order for them to remove the dirt they must cut hole in several places. Making a permanent seal is a real problem. I'm not saying for you to not have your ducts vacuumed and cleaned but to also consider installing ultraviolet system to keep your ducts cleaned and sanitized. Ultraviolet takes time to sanitize and clean but over time it will dissolve dust particles making your ducts cleaner. Making the air flow within your home more energy efficient and saving you money. The installing and running of your UV system will be breathing very clean air, free of all the bad things that cause health problems.
The big question about ultraviolet light is where should they be placed? A lot will depend on your system. Do you have both air conditioning and heat or just heat. Should they be installed in the return air or the supply air? If yours is just heat then in the supply duct side. One ultraviolet lamp will do the job for most of you. But if you have both heat and air conditioning the return air side placement is best. A high tech system would have six lamps for the optimum effectiveness. Come on most of us will not have that many lamps installed. It does not matter witch system you have. Putting in a.88 cent filler just will not do. They may catch some heavy lit, they just do not work. So put in a good filter. It will be the best money you can spend. Change them at least twice a year three would be better. Air conditioning, (just do not know what I would do without it.) Although the side effect of this air conditioning is moisture. Humid and dark the recipe for mold. On a "A" shaped coil It would be best for two lamps, one on the inside of the "A" the other over the outside coil. If using only one then on the outside of the coil. Remember that there operating range is only 8 "top and bottom. Protecting your love ones from toxins would be high priority.
Air movement will make for a healthy home. In order for your Ultraviolet lamp to do its job you have to keep the air circulating. This is easy just go to your thermostat, go to fan settings (it is set at auto) set to on or circulate. That's all there is to it. Now that's how to set your fan. Have you installed you uv light, it's not hard. It will not take but a few minutes. Make a hole in your duct (supply side) after you air filter and the center of the duct. Do not touch the tube with your fingers, (the oil on your hands can cause light failure) holding the unit slid it in the hole, screw it into place and make sure it is air tight. A little duct tape if needed. Plug it into a standard outlet. Your air is on and your light is on you are working sanitizing, removing mold, bacteria and viruses. But if you are not up to this is a job then call a hvac contractor and they can do this for you in about 15 minutes.The clean air and sanitized duct makes for your family the healthiest breathing possible. The removal of air borne allergens, bacteria, mold spores and viruses is the healthy way.
Using a home of around 2000 sq ft. Your air flow would be around 450 to 500 ft per min of air velocity. This would be your air flow when heating or cooling. On your thermostat setting to on or circulate the flow should be about 250 ft per min, this I believe is a very good speed for ultraviolet light to do it's job. Do not worry when your system calls for heat or cooling the fan goes to the full air flow. Having this lower air flow also condemns noise, increasing the ability of ultraviolet to attack microorganisms. Since you spend so much time in your home, around 80% improving your air quality would seem the thing to do.