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UVC lights in ducting, air handlers etc
- Thread starter theother
- Start date
Naut.s.33
Member
I know this is an old post, but I'm currently implementing UV bulbs into my a/c's. They are getting cleaned now as we speak. If I can remember to take pics I'll post, and give updates on how well it keeps the the mold build up down. I'm hoping it will keep them from getting any. Atm they will be run at 1 hour a day, while I'm not in the room and obviously not on the dark cycle. Set up on timers yada yada.. Bump this if you care and I'll be glad to share my experience.
I use these in my grow room and my drying room. -granger
http://www.amazon.com/GermGuardian-...d=1455174823&sr=8-1&keywords=UVC+air+purifier
http://www.amazon.com/GermGuardian-...d=1455174823&sr=8-1&keywords=UVC+air+purifier
they make wall mount units. i do not believe they are worth shit however.
but the ducted units certainly have their place. the emitted light is very reactive, and should not be allowed to land on the evaporator coil, or filter faces.
most folks here run mini splits however. i dont see how you could incorporate one with a minisplit.
but the ducted units certainly have their place. the emitted light is very reactive, and should not be allowed to land on the evaporator coil, or filter faces.
most folks here run mini splits however. i dont see how you could incorporate one with a minisplit.
UV bulbs work great but typically the spectrum of light that kills stuff is used up after about 18 months(varies by bulb manufacturer). At this point they still light up but are not doing any good. Do not look at the bulbs lit either as you will burn your eyes. It will also deteriorate many plastics it shines on.
qq,
Why do you say that? Based on what? -granger
i admit its just a gut feeling.
the ones ive seen are in food handling areas like restraunts etc. they are wall mounted high up, like 6-7 feet up the wall. they are not appreciably warm to the touch hence i believe them to be low wattage.
they have 0 fan moving air so i assume them to be passive. relying on convected heat from the lamp ballasts or air circulation from the hvac system.
these things work by basically deactivating mold spores by frying them with radiation. no that different to how they sterilize some junk with cobalt 60. however air id constantly exchanging into and out of the building envelope through kitchen air vents, HRV, occupancy etc.
it stands to reason that such small dimunitive units cannot even begin to approach the needs of the building. they seem to me to be more wishful thinking than anythign substantive.
i recall somewhere that surgical theaters use something like 250 watts per square meter per meter/second air flow? and thats AFTER a good air filtration, removing mold stuck to dust and large particles and shit.
UVC is not great at killing shit thats stuck to dust. nor is it as effective once the bulbs are allowed to accumulate dust. this is why most installations are in the duct itself, immediately post air filtration.
Those are most likely just food handling area bug zappers. But there's a handheld uv light on the market which you run near the plants once a day to kill anything living. Supposed to be really good, but costs about $400
cold cathode UV
cold cathode UV
I tried out osram 70w cold cathode uv lamp
Dont be fooled by the 70 w this is new tech if you stood 3 ft from it for 5 miniutes youd be blind and burnt and blistered .
I tried it in a 5 ft x 5 ft grow room with plants and cotton aphids both plants dying and aphids dead after 1 hour .A
cold cathode UV
I tried out osram 70w cold cathode uv lamp
Dont be fooled by the 70 w this is new tech if you stood 3 ft from it for 5 miniutes youd be blind and burnt and blistered .
I tried it in a 5 ft x 5 ft grow room with plants and cotton aphids both plants dying and aphids dead after 1 hour .A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqUUvKLgy28
Never used it but found it when looking for something that might prevent mold during curing.
Never used it but found it when looking for something that might prevent mold during curing.
you know what, i think you are right.
this is very similar to what im thinking of.
http://www.webstaurantstore.com/cur...umJDR8Z68lH7sO5WhRCSVZyPRuE4shiDmOxoCpJzw_wcB
i would not expose plants to any significant UVC directly. it will damage them id think.
hell have you ever seen one of those paint testing rigs? basically high wattage UVC+UVB +heat that runs for a few days... simulates like 20 years of sunlight damage. the results are astonishing.
70 watts is insane... most household uv light in duct things are far less than that.
what did the bulbs look like? like... t12 size or what?
If the ones in restaurants look like this, thats probably what it is. This one sits in a million square foot warehouse full of 40 foot high pallets of packaged food which I snapped last night
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Naut.s.33
Member
I'm placing them inside of mini splits atm. I also have 2 w/e they are called standing vented a/c's (like what you would put in your house with it vented out the window). They have them mounted next to the fan on the inside. As for the mini splits its crowded but its doable. When they are mounted I'll post some pictures. Essentially they will be mounted on the inside by the fan on the edge of the outlet.
If the ones in restaurants look like this, thats probably what it is. This one sits in a million square foot warehouse full of 40 foot high pallets of packaged food which I snapped last night
that looks like a legit bug zapper.
the ones im thinking of look more like wall sconces. like the one i linked.
uvc will ruin rubbers, most plastics, and some metals. you are likely to ruin everything from wire insulation to foam gasket material doing what you suggest.
