Ultraviolet light recommendation from HVAC tune up?

[GreggC69]

Had annual tune up of house a/c system last week. When you pull the cover off of the handler in the garage, the technician pointed out areas of specs of mold around the coils and various areas of the unit. The recommendation is for the installation of a multi placement ultraviolet light system to prevent and eliminate any mold development. Has any one experienced this? According to the technician, the mold is something noted on virtually all Villages units. Curious on others experience and curious if anyone has installed one of the ultraviolet lights.

[retiredguy123]

A total waste of money.

[GreggC69]

A total waste of money.

Curious, does yours have the same specs and mold areas and how do you handle? Thanks.

[Topspinmo]

Aren’t there tablets they can put in drain pan for that?

[retiredguy123]

Curious, does yours have the same specs and mold areas and how do you handle? Thanks.
I don't have one and wouldn't buy one. I don't think they work.

[Altavia]

I've never run across a recommendation not from an installer.

But in theory UV can be helpful if you have "significant" mold growing close enough to the input side of the evaporator coil. UV lamp selection and optimal placement are important.

Try asking the installer to take a before photo and another photo next service and guarantee a refund of there is no improvement ;-)

The lamp can be a high cost maintenance item.

And they can degrade any plastic or wire insulation in the path of the light.

Here's a relatively informative overview, also read the comments.

https://youtu.be/5K9pu-tkNYM

[retiredguy123]

I've never run across a recommendation not from an installer.

But in theory UV can be helpful if you have "significant" mold growing close enough to the input side of the evaporator coil. UV lamp selection and optimal placement are important.

Try asking the installer to take a before photo and another photo next service and guarantee a refund of there is no improvement ;-)

The lamp can be a high cost maintenance item.

And they can degrade any plastic or wire insulation in the path of the light.

Here's a relatively informative overview, also read the comments.

https://youtu.be/5K9pu-tkNYM
LOL. Good luck with that refund.

[biggamefish1]

Truth, in Florida, you will get some light mold in your HVAC system. Truth just spray some bleach on the affected areas and it will be ok till next year, Scammrs.

[Altavia]

Truth, in Florida, you will get some light mold in your HVAC system. Truth just spray some bleach on the affected areas and it will be ok till next year, Scammrs.

The problem didn't exist with copper coils because copper is a natural anti-microbial.

So wondering if spraying with a copper sulfate solution could be worth trying? That's what's in some of the "blue" drain pan tablets.

[Arlington2]

A uv light is supposed to kill bacteria and germs. I installed an inexpensive uv light from Amazon several years ago when we had a peculiar odor coming from the ac that no one could identify. The light eliminated that and we have been remarkably free of COVID, colds and flu. The unit has a magnetic mount and is powered through the drop down transformer inside the ac or optionally the 110/220 line. The light is good for a year and then changed with Amazon replacement. I would recommend the Amazon unit in a heartbeat.

[positiveinlife]

I had one installed because they destroy airborne bacteria and mold. A/c coils stay very clean. I know UV light systems are in Government buildings and Hospitals. Air in the house smells like it does after it rains. (clean). check for other installers.

[GreggC69]

Positiveinlife - Curious who you had do the install. It was one of the local BIG firms that looked at ours and quoted over $2K.

[Bill14564]

Truth, in Florida, you will get some light mold in your HVAC system. Truth just spray some bleach on the affected areas and it will be ok till next year, Scammrs.

Isn’t spraying bleach on aluminum coils a bad idea?

[RICH1]

BIGGEST WASTE OF MONEY YOU WILL SPEND... it's Snake oil for an AC Evaporator .. Change your Hvac filter every 60 days with a Merv5 ... Trust me , I have the credentials to back up my statement.

[RICH1]

I had one installed because they destroy airborne bacteria and mold. A/c coils stay very clean. I know UV light systems are in Government buildings and Hospitals. Air in the house smells like it does after it rains. (clean). check for other installers.
It's all in your head! It does nothing, it's a 20 purple light bulb. Another SCAM

[jimkerr]

I’d like to know what company is trying to scam you so I don’t use them.

[gmacw]

These 100% work! Although it depends on mold type as well as where installed. I did HVAC for many years and these became very popular during COVID. I have two installed in my heat pump system at home in MA. Please note, Although the UV lamp will bill certain types of bacteria and mold, it can only kill via line of site. Meaning anywhere the UV light does shine on, ie. where there’s a shadow when light is on, or other side of evaporator coil. My daughter gets symptoms for allergies every year, since I installed the UV lamp, they are Minimal at best.
If there is slight mold, another option is spraying coil cleaner (not bleach) onto the coils then rinse with water. This is a much less expensive option but does not kill any bacteria floating thru the air as it passes thru coil.

[retiredguy123]

These 100% work! Although it depends on mold type as well as where installed. I did HVAC for many years and these became very popular during COVID. I have two installed in my heat pump system at home in MA. Please note, Although the UV lamp will bill certain types of bacteria and mold, it can only kill via line of site. Meaning anywhere the UV light does shine on, ie. where there’s a shadow when light is on, or other side of evaporator coil. My daughter gets symptoms for allergies every year, since I installed the UV lamp, they are Minimal at best.
If there is slight mold, another option is spraying coil cleaner (not bleach) onto the coils then rinse with water. This is a much less expensive option but does not kill any bacteria floating thru the air as it passes thru coil.
Even if the light kills some mold on the coils, the salespeople for these lights claim that it purifies the air as it flows through the air handler, and provides better air for the entire house. In my opinion, this claim is totally bogus. The system is definitely not worth spending thousands of dollars for, especially if you expect one light bulb to treat the air in your entire house.

[FredMitchell]

What color was the "mold"? A common problem in Florida is Zooglea, a bacteria that builds a white sticky mess that can clog the water drain. Getting the line flushed is a messy job, probably required a wet-vac with a way to connect it to you exterior drain.

UV is supposed to help. Aluminum lines in the coil instead of copper is supposedly a contributing factor.

[westernrider75]

Positiveinlife - Curious who you had do the install. It was one of the local BIG firms that looked at ours and quoted over $2K.

We just had our maintenance done also, this is the third year they have been trying to sell us this system, we are also on the fence about it.

[retiredguy123]

Isn’t spraying bleach on aluminum coils a bad idea?
Probably, but if you only spray it to kill the mold and immediately rinse it off, it may not damage the coils. I would prefer to use the spray chemical that is specifically designed to clean the coil. But spending thousands of dollars for a UV light bulb seems unnecessary to me.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

We have one installed, during covid, the first year after we bought the house.
Don't remember the cost,

we aren't penny pinchers about healthy foods,
know that hospitals use UV light to sterilize equipment, including covid masks,
being older we are more susceptible to getting sick,
if there was an extended air conditioner outage, it would take a little longer for the mold to start growing in the house.
we are more proactive with breathing recirculated air all day.
Safety or decreased risk, in whatever form, takes time and/or money, can't get around it


It's your money, its your comfort level, do some reading about the effectiveness, and then make a decision you feel comfortable about. No one cares about how you spend your money, only you do.

[MandoMan]

Had annual tune up of house a/c system last week. When you pull the cover off of the handler in the garage, the technician pointed out areas of specs of mold around the coils and various areas of the unit. The recommendation is for the installation of a multi placement ultraviolet light system to prevent and eliminate any mold development. Has any one experienced this? According to the technician, the mold is something noted on virtually all Villages units. Curious on others experience and curious if anyone has installed one of the ultraviolet lights.

My HVAC maintenance company installed one in the duct above the HVAC unit. He showed my a photo he said showed the duct covered with black mold. I couldn’t read the photo. It cost me $3,500. Whether or not it works, I don’t know.

In a previous home, I had a well that had some e-coli contamination, and that was fixed with a UV light. That was a light tube close to 3 feet long that ran inside a stainless steel tube. There was perhaps a quarter inch between the light tube and the stainless steel tube. All the water ran through that space and was immediately sterilized. Then it went through a filter. The light tube had to be replaced yearly, and a buzzer went off when the year was past. The UV light I had installed here covers a much bigger area of air. It may not kill every mold spore going through the duct, but only the ones that are close enough. But it runs whenever the system runs, and the air recirculates, so it should gradually cut down the number of spores over a couple weeks and keep catching any that come through. But was I crazy? A sucker? Probably.

[BlueStarAirlines]

I’d like to know what company is trying to scam you so I don’t use them.

Sunshine just serviced my HVAC unit and recommended.

[ToniPaul]

Had annual tune up of house a/c system last week. When you pull the cover off of the handler in the garage, the technician pointed out areas of specs of mold around the coils and various areas of the unit. The recommendation is for the installation of a multi placement ultraviolet light system to prevent and eliminate any mold development. Has any one experienced this? According to the technician, the mold is something noted on virtually all Villages units. Curious on others experience and curious if anyone has installed one of the ultraviolet lights.

UV is good, and will kill germs - but a better option is an ionizer; both will kill germs (and CoVid) - but an ionizer will kill covid on surfaces, while UV will only kill what’s in the airflow.
Did this for a critical facility I ran during the pandemic - no employee covid due to building conditions.

[Sgt Ed]

Truth, in Florida, you will get some light mold in your HVAC system. Truth just spray some bleach on the affected areas and it will be ok till next year, Scammrs. NO BLEACH in the AC unless you want a new unit in 6 months. Highly corrosive to aluminum coils.

[retiredguy123]

Had annual tune up of house a/c system last week. When you pull the cover off of the handler in the garage, the technician pointed out areas of specs of mold around the coils and various areas of the unit. The recommendation is for the installation of a multi placement ultraviolet light system to prevent and eliminate any mold development. Has any one experienced this? According to the technician, the mold is something noted on virtually all Villages units. Curious on others experience and curious if anyone has installed one of the ultraviolet lights.
So, if the technician says that there is mold in virtually all Villages HVAC units, should every homeowner spend thousands of dollars to install a UV light?

[CybrSage]

No one cares about how you spend your money, only you do.

Welcome to TOTV, you must be new here.

;)

[LoisR]

Go for it. Weve had one gor seversl years. Or a replacement (the are good for 2 years). Before the UV light, our air filter was all black. We were breathing that stuff. After the lights were installed, the filter was only a little black. What a difference it made. Replacement bulbs are $100 when bought on line.

[Wondering]

Had annual tune up of house a/c system last week. When you pull the cover off of the handler in the garage, the technician pointed out areas of specs of mold around the coils and various areas of the unit. The recommendation is for the installation of a multi placement ultraviolet light system to prevent and eliminate any mold development. Has any one experienced this? According to the technician, the mold is something noted on virtually all Villages units. Curious on others experience and curious if anyone has installed one of the ultraviolet lights.
Have it installed because they are worth it. They can last one to three years. There is a "window" that shows you when it is lite and functional. They are easy to replace yourself. Go online and you can buy them for $20 to $30 dollars.

[mfodale]

Positiveinlife - Curious who you had do the install. It was one of the local BIG firms that looked at ours and quoted over $2K.

Contact DeRosa AC, they did mine, 3 times less than your quote. 352-396-5567

[positiveinlife]

Positiveinlife - Curious who you had do the install. It was one of the local BIG firms that looked at ours and quoted over $2K.

local guy under $1000 system and installation.

Not a scam! Know your science Uv destroys bacteria by contact.

[HJBeck]

When the unit isnt running, turn off the thermostat, open up the panel covering the coils in your garage and spray the coils and any other area where the coils are with a light bleach and water solution. Let dry for 30-45 minutes, put panel back on, turn thermostat back on and you should be good for another year. (There should be no open/uninsulated wires in the coil area)

[Retiredsteve]

A uv light is supposed to kill bacteria and germs. I installed an inexpensive uv light from Amazon several years ago when we had a peculiar odor coming from the ac that no one could identify. The light eliminated that and we have been remarkably free of COVID, colds and flu. The unit has a magnetic mount and is powered through the drop down transformer inside the ac or optionally the 110/220 line. The light is good for a year and then changed with Amazon replacement. I would recommend the Amazon unit in a heartbeat.
I don't have a light and I also didn't get any colds, flu, or COVID. So there is that

[Bill14564]

When the unit isnt running, turn off the thermostat, open up the panel covering the coils in your garage and spray the coils and any other area where the coils are with a light bleach and water solution. Let dry for 30-45 minutes, put panel back on, turn thermostat back on and you should be good for another year. (There should be no open/uninsulated wires in the coil area)

In another thread, some posters have advised against flushing the drain line with vinegar or bleach added to the water because the fumes might cause corrosion of the aluminum coils. Now you are suggesting spraying bleach directly onto the coils???

NO BLEACH in the AC unless you want a new unit in 6 months. Highly corrosive to aluminum coils.

[retiredguy123]

In another thread, some posters have advised against flushing the drain line with vinegar or bleach added to the water because the fumes might cause corrosion of the aluminum coils. Now you are suggesting spraying bleach directly onto the coils???
Amazon sells a spray foam specifically designed to clean and remove mold and bacteria from evaporator coils. This will avoid using bleach and will save you a lot of money by not buying a UV light system.

[retiredguy123]

If you buy one of these UV systems expecting it to improve the air quality in your house, I would recommend that you test your air quality before and after you place the system into operation to see if it made a difference. The companies that make these systems claim that it will.

[Lannyd]

Had annual tune up of house a/c system last week. When you pull the cover off of the handler in the garage, the technician pointed out areas of specs of mold around the coils and various areas of the unit. The recommendation is for the installation of a multi placement ultraviolet light system to prevent and eliminate any mold development. Has any one experienced this? According to the technician, the mold is something noted on virtually all Villages units. Curious on others experience and curious if anyone has installed one of the ultraviolet lights.

Spend your money on a Reme Halo!
They should be about grand. You will not regret it, clean sanitized air in your home 24-7. I am not a HVAC guy just a guy with allergies. Beat investment I have ever made

[Bill14564]

Amazon sells a spray foam specifically designed to clean and remove mold and bacteria from evaporator coils. This will avoid using bleach and will save you a lot of money by not buying a UV light system.

An annual or biannual inspection and maintenance visit will achieve the same and more.

While the spray will clean and remove mold and bacteria that has built up over the course of a year, the UV light is intended to prevent it entirely. It seems prices vary greatly (so some must be excessive) but for those who are more sensitive to mold or are germ-averse the UV light is a valid option.

[StamperTV25]

I put one in our other home in Bradenton 3 years ago for the same reason.....it made a great difference. I will most likely add one on our new home in TV. I just replaced the UV light after 3 years.....bigger investment up front......but it made a big difference inside the unit.

[ithos]

Just a not of caution. It can cause permanent eye damage. Should have an interlock to shut it off when you remove panel door. You will not feel anything wrong until the next day.

Air conditioning UV light dangers (https://www.wtoc.com/story/24015046/ultra-violet-lights-in-air-conditioning-units-possibly-harmful/)

[daniel200]

UV light has been used for years in hospitals and in water purifiers to kill bacteria. It works. But the light only kills bacteria directly in the light path. It will not kill bacteria on your AC coil or pan where it is not irradiated with the light.

But not just any UV light will work. The UV light must be at a very specific wavelength and intensity to kill bacteria and mold. And lights of this wavelength will commonly create ozone which is a health hazard in itself.

[gmnirr]

PUR COOL GREEN tablet goes in the pan lasts 6 months Amazon $16

[Nana2Teddy]

I've never run across a recommendation not from an installer.

But in theory UV can be helpful if you have "significant" mold growing close enough to the input side of the evaporator coil. UV lamp selection and optimal placement are important.

Try asking the installer to take a before photo and another photo next service and guarantee a refund of there is no improvement ;-)

The lamp can be a high cost maintenance item.

And they can degrade any plastic or wire insulation in the path of the light.

Here's a relatively informative overview, also read the comments.

https://youtu.be/5K9pu-tkNYM

We had UV lights with our Carrier system many years ago in SoCal. After a few years we began to notice pieces of plastic blowing out of our registers all over the house. An inspection of the ducts in the attic revealed the liner was shredding from the UV light exposure. We had the lights removed and had to have quite a bit of the ducting replaced when replacing our HVAC system. The cost of replacing the bulbs annually was a big expense too.

[RUCdaze]

Happened to me. This is a total scam by one of the local service companies. Don't fall for it, in fact, kick the technitian out if he pulls that crap. He's most likely getting a commission on the "work" he sells.

[westernrider75]

Go for it. Weve had one gor seversl years. Or a replacement (the are good for 2 years). Before the UV light, our air filter was all black. We were breathing that stuff. After the lights were installed, the filter was only a little black. What a difference it made. Replacement bulbs are $100 when bought on line.

Was your system recommended and installed by your HVAC company?

[GreggC69]

We are the second owners so the unit was installed at construction and the previous owners were the first occupants. SunKool is who is suggesting the light currently and were not the original installers.

[Pinball wizard]

I’d like to know what company is trying to scam you so I don’t use them.

Most likely Sunkool.

[GreggC69]

Most likely Sunkool.


That is correct. SunKool.

[Sharperize]

I was told the same and believe they’re correct. However, they wanted something like $1400 to install. I went onto Amazon and bought lights and fixture for less than $100 & installed myself. No more mold! LHad annual tune up of house a/c system last week. When you pull the cover off of the handler in the garage, the technician pointed out areas of specs of mold around the coils and various areas of the unit. The recommendation is for the installation of a multi placement ultraviolet light system to prevent and eliminate any mold development. Has any one experienced this? According to the technician, the mold is something noted on virtually all Villages units. Curious on others experience and curious if anyone has installed one of the ultraviolet lights.

[rsmurano]

More disinformation. I used to get mold on my filter everytime I changed it. I had them put in a good quality black light ($1800) and the mold went away. I’m with the guy who services the units 2x a year maintenance plan and no mold, and this is on a 4 yr old house.

Don’t listen to people that discard technology because “they think it won’t work”, listen to people that have real experience with it

[Switter]

I was considering a UV lamp when I installed my new furnace. Once he mentioned the $500 price tag on the lightbulb and that it needed to be replaced at regular intervals (I can't remember how often), I decided to forgo it. Also, my furnace is not in my garage so it is not exposed to high humidity. That really doesn't make much sense to me unless your garage is air-conditioned to remove the moisture out of the air. Do they do that to save space in the house?

[Veracity]

local guy under $1000 system and installation.

Not a scam! Know your science Uv destroys bacteria by contact.

I am on TEAM-UVLIGHT. It might all be in my head, but it gives me peace of mind knowing (or thinking) that there is no mold blowing through my HVAC. We rented a house that had little maintenance done to the HVAC. It was only a few years old, but the coils were black with mold. So, when we built our new house, we had two UV lights installed by Sunshine within weeks of moving in. Then, during our first 1-year routine maintenance, we asked for a 3rd light, which even surprised the technician because the entire system was spotless. We have now been here close to two years and there is not a speck of mold in our system. Maybe it would have been fine without the light, but after seeing the black mold in our rental, I never want to take the chance of having that mold in my house. So, we probably win the award of the most HVAC UV lighting in the entire Villages (or the people who got scammed the most). LOL. :BigApplause:

[Altavia]

I am on TEAM-UVLIGHT. It might all be in my head, but it gives me peace of mind knowing (or thinking) that there is no mold blowing through my HVAC. We rented a house that had little maintenance done to the HVAC. It was only a few years old, but the coils were black with mold. So, when we built our new house, we had two UV lights installed by Sunshine within weeks of moving in. Then, during our first 1-year routine maintenance, we asked for a 3rd light, which even surprised the technician because the entire system was spotless. We have now been here close to two years and there is not a speck of mold in our system. Maybe it would have been fine without the light, but after seeing the black mold in our rental, I never want to take the chance of having that mold in my house. So, we probably win the award of the most HVAC UV lighting in the entire Villages (or the people who got scammed the most). LOL. :BigApplause:


High intensity UV C Lights properly installed on the wet input side will deactivate microorganisms illuminated by the light giving them a bad sunburn.

Trade-off is if regular maintenance is good enough or not vs how often you need to replace the lamps and at what cost?

[Carlsondm]

Who was it?
We were approached for the same install. I have asthma and asked the tech to clean up the mold. I am mold sensitive from doing Iaq work. Amazingly he was able to disappear the mold with no safety gear. I bought the unit because it does work until the bulb declines.. It is a medical need for me. The bulb is available on Amazon for $80. They charge $800 to “ maintain” the unit. The units are probably not needed by most people. The tech should Id the mold and let you know what you are dealing with.