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Old 03-12-2012, 10:09 AM
BQ! BQ! started this thread
 
2 posts, read 2,650 times
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I have some mildew on some of the AC registers (vents) from condensation building up. I have been told a UV light installed in the system will help. From what I can see online these lights cost around $300 give or take. I had ARS come out and they wanted $1,250 for the light and install. Seems a bit excessive unless I am missing something. The install procedure doesn't appear to be too complicated (I'm no expert) but I'd rather pay a professional to do it.

Any ideas where to find a reasonable deal?

Thanks.
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Old 03-12-2012, 01:23 PM
 
23,841 posts, read 14,963,353 times
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I had the UV light installed in the air return thinking it would help with allergies. It was a PITA. The on/off would break, a lot. They finally just fixed where it stayed on all of the time. We just did not replace when we got all new last year. We did not pay anywhere near your quote. Data now says they are not as good as first thought.

Some of the HVAC guys will know, I think that is not your problem.
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Old 03-12-2012, 03:10 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
16,787 posts, read 48,952,327 times
Reputation: 9478
Quote:
Originally Posted by BQ! View Post
I have some mildew on some of the AC registers (vents) from condensation building up. I have been told a UV light installed in the system will help. From what I can see online these lights cost around $300 give or take. I had ARS come out and they wanted $1,250 for the light and install. Seems a bit excessive unless I am missing something. The install procedure doesn't appear to be too complicated (I'm no expert) but I'd rather pay a professional to do it. Any ideas where to find a reasonable deal?
A UV light which will probably be installed near your condenser coils at the central AC unit, is not going to do anything to prevent condensation build up and mildew at the registers. Sounds like you have to much humidity in the home, assuming this is a home. Make sure no one is leaving the doors or windows open. Run the kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans when cooking or bathing to remove the humid air. Your HVAC system may also be bringing in too much exterior make up air which has high humidity levels. That can be adjusted. I had this problem once with a library and a police substation that I was the project manager for. The new air conditioning codes required significantly more outside make up air to be brought into the system each time it ran. So during moderate weather periods, the system would run for short periods of time taking in lots of humid outside air, but since it was not very hot, it did not run long enough for the condenser coils to take the humidity out of that air.

Some HVAC systems (Carrier is one) can provide limited humidity control by running the fans longer even after the cooling condensor shuts off, the coils stay cool and help remove some of the humidity at the coil. If you start noticing condensation build up on the grills, run the fans alone on the system to reduce it. Most thermostats allow you to do that.

Quote:
Originally Posted by crone View Post
I had the UV light installed in the air return thinking it would help with allergies. It was a PITA. The on/off would break, a lot. They finally just fixed where it stayed on all of the time. We just did not replace when we got all new last year. We did not pay anywhere near your quote. Data now says they are not as good as first thought.

Some of the HVAC guys will know, I think that is not your problem.
UV light does nothing to help with allergies unless your HVAC system is full of mold and you are allergic to it. Most allergies are to pollens, dust mites, etc. and UV light does nothing for those.

Last edited by CptnRn; 03-12-2012 at 04:17 PM..
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Old 03-12-2012, 03:17 PM
 
Location: Tricity, PL
61,428 posts, read 86,506,480 times
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UV Duct Lamps - iaqsource.com
UV Duct Lamps - iaqsource.com ?? maybe??
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r179...k-any-benefit-
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