[mfodale]

Originally Posted by 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.

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

[positiveinlife]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

I don't have a light and I also didn't get any colds, flu, or COVID. So there is that

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by 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)

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???

Originally Posted by Sgt Ed

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

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

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

[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]

Originally Posted by 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

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.