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UV Light Frequently Asked Questions

    UV Q&A

 

UV Light for healthy livingQ: Can I request a quote for a specific UV installation?

Q: Does the Ultraviolet Light really work?

Q: Has the UV Light Technology been tested?

Q: Have indoor airborne contaminates increased?

Q: Is UV light similar to ozone?

Q: Do germs have to be in sight of the UV to be killed?

Q: Where in our home should we place the UV light?

Q: How does the American-Lights® UV Cleaner work?

Q: What kind of germs are affected by the UV Air Cleaner?

Q: Is UV Light harmful to people?

Q: What is the life of the UV lamp?

Q: Does the American-Lights UV Air Cleaner operate continuously?

Q: Is the American-Lights® UV Air Cleaner expensive to operate?

Q: How do I know when it is time to replace the germicidal UV lamp?

Q: Is it safe to look at the UV light trough the sight-glass?

Q: Why not use ozone generating air cleaners?

Q: Don’t air filters eliminate germs?

Q: What is the American-Lights® UV Air Cleaner warranty?

Q: How can I get an American-Lights® UV Air Cleaner installed?

Q: During initial operation, the UV lamp burns green instead of blue. Is this normal?

Q: Can I request a Quote on a specific UV installation?
A. Absolutely. In order for us to quote the best UV product for your needs please follow the links bellow:

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Q: Does UV really work?
A. UV has been proven under numerous studies for its ability to destroy the DNA of germs: viruses, mold, spores, fungi, and bacteria. It works at different levels depending on what one wants to accomplish.

Example 1: In the commercial world, i.e. hospitals, clean rooms and food processing plants, the objective would be to have instantaneous kill. Therefore, UV lights would blanket the air passage system and the airflow directed over and between lamps, which provide for maximum kill of air pollutants. This process is expensive.

Example 2: In residential applications, the objective is to create a cost effective and continuous method of cleaning the air. The kill rate of air pollutants is a function of space, time and the intensity of UV. Because UV has been proven to work in a cumulative manner, the polluted air is cleaned over time and subsequent passages over the UV lamp - the same way like we wash our hands more than once a day to periodically get rid of germs. Germs are constantly growing in our indoor environment and pollute the air we breathe. UV technology gives us the opportunity to clean the indoor air continuously in a cost effective manner.

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Q: Has UV technology been tested?
A. Yes. Westinghouse Electric, General Electric, Penn State University and Harvard School of Public Health conducted laboratory tests on the effectiveness of UV light on microorganisms. UV light has also been used in wastewater plants and commercial settings for over 60 years. Recent studies are proving the UV technology effective against biological terrorist attacks and for reducing sickness due to airborne pollutants.

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Q. Have indoor airborne contaminates increased?
A. Yes! We have changed our homes in such a way to accelerate growth of microorganisms. Self defrost refrigerators, air conditioned and energy tight homes, are a few examples for environments that provide breeding grounds for accelerated growth of mold and bacteria that mix with the air we breathe. Airborne house dust is a by-product of our living indoors, from dead skin, to hair, to paint flakes, to dust mite feces. Since we now live indoors up to 95% of the time, more house dust is produced.

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Q. Is UVC similar to ozone?
A. No! Ozone is a chemical; UVC is electromagnetic energy, or rays. Ozone, as a chemical, can mix with the air and travel by air currents into the breathable air space. Ozone oxidizes or alters the chemical structure of material it contacts. UVC does not mix with the air, but travels by wave energy. To be effective, that energy has to be in the line of sight. Further, the UVC energy degrades within a few feet of the light source.

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Q. Do microorganisms have to be within sight of the UVC to be killed?
A. Yes, if UVC rays are being used. To be killed by UVC, germs must be irradiated directly. Germs can be affected by reflected UVC, but it takes longer and must be closer to the reflected light source. Few materials, (primarily polished aluminum and magnesium oxide) effectively reflect UVC. The common mirror will not.

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Q. Where in our home should we place UVC?
A. Standing indoor air has such volume and is so dispersed throughout the rooms of the home, it becomes impossible to effectively clean it. But there is one place in most homes where 100% of the air can be conditioned every 12 to 15 minutes. That area is in an operating central heating and cooling airflow system (HVAC). So if we need to clean and purify the breathable air, it should be done within the HVAC unit. It is within this system that the UVC lamp should be placed to take advantage of the one point where the total air can be cleaned.

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Q: How does the American-Lights® UV Air Cleaner Work?
A. The American-Lights® UV Air Cleaner is installed at either the air return or supply side of your heating and air conditioning system. The lamp emits UV light that greatly reduces or eliminates germs such as mold, bacteria, spores, fungi and viruses circulated by the HVAC system. The American-Lights® germicidal lamp emits UVC rays at the optimum level for germ kill effectiveness. It is the strongest germicidal UV lamp on the market.

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Q: What kind of germs are affected?
A. American-Lights® UV Air Cleaner is extremely effective against virtually any airborne microbes including rhinoviruses (colds), influenza, bacteria, mold, mold spores and viruses.

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Q: Is UV light harmful to people?
A. Prolonged, direct exposure to UV light is harmful to all living organisms, including people. However, the American-Lights® UV system has been designed with safety in mind. There is minimum exposure to people. This provides for safe operation and maintenance.

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Q: What is the life of the UV lamp?
A. The American-Lights® High Output UV Lamp has a one year effective life span. It is strongly recommended that the UV lamp should be replaced every year to keep the environmental system in top performance range.

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Q: Does the American-Lights® UV Air Cleaner operate continuously?
A. Yes. The American-Lights® UV Air Cleaner works 24 hours a day to purify the indoor air. This is not true with some other air cleaners that turn on and off with the HVAC blower motor.

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Q: Is the American-Lights® UV Air Cleaner expensive to operate?
A. Not at all. The American-Lights® UV Air Cleaner only consumes about seven cents a day in energy costs. For best results, simply keep the germicidal UV lamp free of dust and replace it once a year to keep the system running at peak performance.

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Q: How do I know when it is time to replace the germicidal UV lamp?
A. The UV lamp should be replaced once every year but also there is an indicator or sight-glass located approximately six inches from the American-Lights® chassis, that will glow while the UV lamp is working.

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Q: If UV is harmful, is it safe to look at the light through the sight-glass?
A. Germicidal UV light (UVC band) cannot pass through glass. There is no harm to look at the sight-glass to see if the unit is properly operating. The sight-glass is an indicator and there is no need to look through it to see if the lamp is working. Just observe from a short distance.

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Q: Why not use ozone generating air cleaners?
A. The EPA and American Lung Association are strongly against the use of ozone indoors. It has been determined that ozone is corrosive to lung tissue. In addition, ozone is known to be very corrosive to certain materials and can damage your HVAC system.

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Q: Don’t air filters eliminate germs?
A. Air filters do trap microbes; but even the most sophisticated air filters do not contain 100% of the germs. Microorganisms not trapped will reproduce very quickly and contaminate the indoor environment. In some cases the air filters become breeding grounds for new colonies of germs.

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Q: What is the American-Lights® UV Air Cleaner warranty?
A. The American-Lights® UV Air Cleaner has a 5 year warranty on the chassis and 1 year warranty on the UV lamp from the date of installation by an authorized dealer, documented by sales receipt or dealer warranty card.

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Q: How can I get the American-Lights® UV Air Cleaner installed?
A. Submit your contact information from our web site or call American Air & Water®, Inc. at 843-306-0070 and we'll locate a dealer in your area. You may also call your contractor and ask if they carry the American-Lights® UV Air Cleaner.

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Technical Question: During initial operation, the germicidal UV lamp burns green instead of blue. Is this normal?
A. No - The mercury has not had sufficient time to warm-up. After five (5) minutes, the UV lamp may be deemed defective.

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