Do I Need a UV Light for My Air Conditioner? A Tampa Tech Answers

Here’s our answer: If you have an excess of mold or bacteria in your AC or home, then you may need a UV light.

In this article, we’ll cover the following info:

1. Signs you have excess mold/bacteria in your AC or home

2. How a UV light fights mold and bacteria

3. Factors that will contribute to how effective a UV light will be

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If you have mold or bacteria issues you’ll notice the following signs:

Unfortunately, your AC air handler (located indoors) is a natural breeding spot for mold since it’s dark, damp and dusty all the time.

Since your air handler naturally facilitates mold growth, it’s not uncommon for you or a tech to see mold growing on your evaporator coils located inside the air handler, especially if your AC coils haven’t been cleaned for a long time.

Does your home smell like dirty socks, especially when you run your AC?

If so, that points to a mold issue in your AC air handler or ductwork.  

At certain wavelengths, UV light can become “germicidal”, meaning it breaks the DNA in the cells of bacteria and mold spores and leaves them disabled.

Since mold spores and bacteria are transmitted through the air, it makes sense to start fighting them in your AC system, which is constantly circulating air throughout your home.

Typically a UV light machine is installed in your AC handler, which is where mold is most likely to grow and where warm air passes through to be cooled (then pushed back into your home).

Once the UV light machine is installed inside your air handler, all the air that passes through the air handler will be purified, leaving you with clean air that’s blown back into your home. Plus, the UV light will kill any mold spores that settle on the evaporator coils, leaving your air handler mold-free.