As with all UVC light, it is to kill viruses, molds, and less so, bacteria and spores when exposed to the UVC for a period of time. Essentially destroying the DNA and RNA of microorganisms. That's why the unit being installed here, as with all other UVC lights, are recommended to be installed at the coil assembly where you get the moisture condensation from the coil, and the debris blowing over it, causing such issues. The UVC lights are designed to be left on in coil area to act on them. The coils in there, as well as the surrounding duct is all metal. UV light does not affect metal. However, this video shows placing the UVC light in the return duct. Air passes through there at a high rate, meaning there's not enough time to expose virus and molds to the UVC light to have much of an impact. You would need a much more intense UVC source so that length of UV exposure needed to kill viruses, etc, is reduced. Meanwhile, installation in the return duct shown here doesn't do anything about the issues in the coil area, where this was meant to be installed in the first place. Also be aware if you replace the bulbs, make sure they are coated to prevent production of ozone, not good for your health. Ozone is generated by the breakdown of oxygen at the 185nm wavelength that can be generated by some of these UVC bulbs. The bulbs used in this Reko unit are Ok, but caution on getting replacements that are not certified regarding ozone.
100% agree - all the nasty stuff accumulates below the coils at the draining pan and that's where the UV lights would do the job. I personally places one unit above the coils and another after the coils before the blower that is also facing the drain pan
Location, location, location. Yes, some germs might be killed passing by it in the duct. To effectively kill the most germs the light needs to be placed either above or below the A/C coil in the main trunk, out of the way of dripping condensate, depending on the shape of the coil(s). That's the place where germs have the best place to grow in the cool damp environment of the HVAC system.
Should it be downstream, or up stream of the A-coil? How can I tell which direction the air flows into the unit? I'm putting my hand in there while its running and its still kinda hard to tell... Any tips?
@@gial8862 You can find the squirrel cage blower fan right? The air is going away from that. Even simpler, the furnace would usually be upstream from the A coil, so the air is going away from the furnace, through the A coil and to the house. Also the pointy part of the A coil usually points in the direction of the air flow.
@@gial8862 The air from the blower blows through the coils to send cool air through the vents to your house. Condensation will form from the warmer air and drip down. So the UV light, as others have mentioned, should be above that. It will shine on the coil, and the drip area. Some furnace units recommend UV on each side above the A coils to ensure the UV is able to get to all affected areas.
My HVAC was installed in 2016. I think placement depends on what worries you most. Bad mold is not in the HVAC itself but in the walls. What most people are troubled with is whats being SUCKED into the system or BLOWN throughout the house. When my HVAC people were asked, they said best placement is in the main duct work feed. Any "bugs" that makes it past the filter (mine are 4inch wide merv 13). This would sterilize bacteria, viruses , etc. Or right before the bend in the return to the filter which would kill the nasty stuff before they got sucked into the filter. They, like this man, stated that the UV-C light over time can harm the some of the hardware but takes time. So, depending on who you ask, you get 3 different answers. Bottom line, what ware you trying to clean will help you decide where it needs to go. For me, it has to be just above my Humidifier which is in the return vent, 4 feet above the filter/fan. I've yet to see anyone address how this will shorten the life of your bulb if it's in an areas where it's getting hit with moist air all the time.
@@tc1uscg65 Moisture shouldn't affect the bulb at all. Over time, moisture may cause oxidation of the copper contacts in the bulb socket. This could be prevented by coating the copper contacts with dielectric grease/compound. I recommend silicon based dielectric compound. Could be applied with a Q-tip. Obviously ensure the unit is disconnected from power first.
I had planned on using this type of light in another application and I have UV protection eyewar for myself but adding the UV window port was pretty ingenious, thanks for the tip.
If you are not concerned about the little if any mold on the coils (IMO, if you have mold on your coils, you should be finding the root cause instead of damage control). I want to kill bacteria, viruses, zap dander before it hits my filter element. I've heard you can install these AFTER the furnace or before the filter. With that said. Great video and your little helper is a natural. Good work.
Just asking for input. I just installed this unit in my duct work and it continues to shut off after 1.5 minutes? If I unplug and re-plug it goes for another 1.5 minutes? also. can this start a fire with the fiberglass insulation in my duct? So far I'm not impressed!!!
Always on the supply side past the filter in your case in between the a coil because you don't really have a supply plenum. that thing is going to prematurely fail due to the dust from the return
I have an outside heat pump for cooling and heating. There is inside unit and both the return and supply are in the crawlspace and are SOFT duct. Can you install one of these units in outside heatpump? If so how is it protected from exposure to weather, rain, etc.
Hello everyone Thank You So Much for all the support (BTW I’m the girl in this vid) but Thank you all for the subs, the views, likes, and all the comments! :)
Excellent video. Dose the light need to constantly on.? And do you think any harmful effects or fumes go throughout the air circulation throughout the house?
Thank you. The light should remain on at all times. We have had the system installed for over a month and we need to get a follow up video released, so make sure to subscribe to hear everything. This system does not create any smell that I have noticed. Some people have said that, in older construction, UV systems have stopped the mold smell they had prior to installing a UV system.
@@diyspecialists710 there is one thing to note. if this is installed in the supply side of the duct and the light hits flex ducting the uv light will degrade those ducts in about 2 years. To prevent that the flex duct needs to be lined with something that is UVC light proof or sections of the flex duct needs to be replaced with UVC proof flex duct. This applies only what is in direct contact with the UV light. Also if there are any wiring that is exposed inside the furnace or air handler to the UV light the cabling needs to be wrapped as UV light will break down the insulation of the wiring. This is especially true if installing in the return side of a furnace or air handler. If the UV light is installed where the light can hit the air filter the UV light will break down the paper media in the filter causing holes to form in the filter so be sure to install it away from contact of the air filter. the best location if practical and possible is in the supply side duct right in front of the coil. as your video states the light will kill bacteria, viruses and molds which is always good for health reduce odors etc. But also inhibiting mold growth on the coils keeps the air flow at max efficiency as the mold growth inhibits airflow through the evaporator coil. If it's impractical to install the UV light in the supply side near the coild you can purchase a stand alone coil UV light that can be installed in the coil and work in tandem with the main UV light.
@@luv2uallday1 uv bulb are most effective at 40c. Won't the cold air and the fast moving air (decreasing exposure time) be less effective than installing on the return side?
Thank you. We have not noticed a significant difference, but I can say we have had no asthma attacks since the install. That may be due in part because we have a significant filter system with hospital grade MERV protection throughout the house. Shortly after recording the video, I installed the same UV light for someone else and they have noticed a significant difference. They have a normal filter system.
I wrote my comment late at night and based on how I thought. The next day, I asked my wife and she thought it had made a big difference. Her thoughts were that it maybe helped with the oak pollen that affects her greatly during the spring here in South Florida.
Thanks for the video. I have a couple of questions: how many UVC power out is generated by the lamps, and for your filter system, have you use another blower to increase airflow after passing the filter? Thanks again!
Here is some irony-- The exact same day I installed 2 of these on my duct (in an attempt to kill Corona virus), I started having symptoms--- Tested the next day... Positive... Fortunately I had mild disease, my wife got symptoms 4 days later, slightly worse symptoms...Positive also--- we are recovering well.
@Not Me The ones in the video? I've been running ours since November without any issues.... I forgot they were even on.... I just unplugged them last week.... We bought to try and prevent Covid.... We are all vaccinated now so i saw no reasin to continue to run them.... If they made u ill it is possible they were the wrong wavelength of UV.... Certain wave lengths of UV can produce ozone... The ones in the video are not supposed to.... If u are confident this made u sick u should see a physician right away IMO....
I’m the editor of this vid and to answer your question, it was the type of editing style I used because I am all new to editing, but we don’t want to pay for an editor until we start making more videos.
It doesn’t matter. After installing where I did and Covid-19, I have thought seriously about putting more throughout my duct system both before and after. Just remember that the UV light will kill mold and viruses before getting to the condenser, so I would say before if having only one UV light.
@@diyspecialists710 The condensing coil is on the outside unit (with compressor). The inside coil is the evaporator coil. For a UV that is on 24x7 better place is below the A coil or evaporator coil. The damage caused by UV actually will do more damage faster to your flex duct system and other 'plastic' parts rather than the coil or galvanized plenum. That assumes you are using UV-C wavelength light.
Not quite sure I understand how to answer your question, but maybe I can get it right. First off, there is no blower connected to the unit itself. The blower in the air handler is what moves the air past the UV light. The unit gets plugged into a typical 120 volt receptacle and does not seem to use much electricity. The product rating does not really cover something like that, because UV light does not kill viruses, bacteria and molds at the same rate. My research has it that some viruses are more hardy and require more UV light to die. That is why I have really thought about installing more UV lights throughout the duct.
I think we should create a device like this cars and mail trucks so that way if the mail carrier who is driving the vehicle is not being contaminated and they are not contaminating anything in the vehicle like packages and mail and other items,infact I also think they should just have some way to sanitize any mail or packages that come into the building,because mail carrier's have a very big potential to spread the virus even if It's by accident.
No it won’t you can only mess up the wires or any other plastics that’s not UVC rated. Trust me I cannot mess up steel copper or the aluminum or the brass. I’ve been dealing with them for 25 years
It's called "dynamic pricing," and it's when online retailers change the price of a product depending on factors like your browsing or purchase history, operating system, and even your zip code.
@Not Me I put my own uv light and never got that reaction from it. I had it on for an entire year with no side effects. Did you ever check the status of your evap coils?? If they were full of gunk then the uv light was burning that stuff off causing the smell
As HVAC professionals we need to bring attention to the need for proper HVAC to clean the air of Covid -19. True it is not an end all solution to solving the pandemic, but it does give us another layer of protection and another tool in our tool belt in this battle against Covid-19
Thanks for the comment. The unit is somewhat close to the filter as it receives indirect UV light, but I am not concerned with UV light hurting the filter. The filter gets changed out regularly and before it gets degraded enough to matter. That was part of the reason for putting the unit at that location. I have seen these units placed in the box shining directly on the filter and I think that is okay because like before, the filter had a high MERV rating and thick enough so that the UV light did not shine through the filter and that they get changed out frequently enough.
Number 1 defense to cover in the home is don't let any one else inside other than family. U-V light will not protect inside your home from passing on a covid infection. It also does not work for Hospitals.
Waste of time and money , the "surface" needs at least 10 seconds of surface contact , you don't have that in an air duct where the air moves at all times . Now , that unit will produce ozone molecules so I wouldn't use it especially around children. Don't cheap out when it's about health.
Thank you for your comment. Just interested to see if you can point to any studies that support these findings. I’ve always been told that ozone helps us.
@@flushiez according to this link-- ozone is produced from UV light between 160-240 nm-- still in the ok range at 254 nm.... Just clarifying... It also say that UV wavelenghts between 240-280 nm will destroy OZONE--- so this should remove ozone from your house not produce it.... www.oxidationtech.com/ozone/ozone-production/uv-lamp.html#:~:text=As%20the%20wavelength%20(nm)%20increases,will%20create%20ozone%20from%20oxygen.
As with all UVC light, it is to kill viruses, molds, and less so, bacteria and spores when exposed to the UVC for a period of time. Essentially destroying the DNA and RNA of microorganisms. That's why the unit being installed here, as with all other UVC lights, are recommended to be installed at the coil assembly where you get the moisture condensation from the coil, and the debris blowing over it, causing such issues. The UVC lights are designed to be left on in coil area to act on them. The coils in there, as well as the surrounding duct is all metal. UV light does not affect metal. However, this video shows placing the UVC light in the return duct. Air passes through there at a high rate, meaning there's not enough time to expose virus and molds to the UVC light to have much of an impact. You would need a much more intense UVC source so that length of UV exposure needed to kill viruses, etc, is reduced. Meanwhile, installation in the return duct shown here doesn't do anything about the issues in the coil area, where this was meant to be installed in the first place.
Also be aware if you replace the bulbs, make sure they are coated to prevent production of ozone, not good for your health. Ozone is generated by the breakdown of oxygen at the 185nm wavelength that can be generated by some of these UVC bulbs. The bulbs used in this Reko unit are Ok, but caution on getting replacements that are not certified regarding ozone.
100% agree - all the nasty stuff accumulates below the coils at the draining pan and that's where the UV lights would do the job. I personally places one unit above the coils and another after the coils before the blower that is also facing the drain pan
Location, location, location. Yes, some germs might be killed passing by it in the duct. To effectively kill the most germs the light needs to be placed either above or below the A/C coil in the main trunk, out of the way of dripping condensate, depending on the shape of the coil(s). That's the place where germs have the best place to grow in the cool damp environment of the HVAC system.
Should it be downstream, or up stream of the A-coil? How can I tell which direction the air flows into the unit? I'm putting my hand in there while its running and its still kinda hard to tell... Any tips?
@@gial8862 You can find the squirrel cage blower fan right? The air is going away from that. Even simpler, the furnace would usually be upstream from the A coil, so the air is going away from the furnace, through the A coil and to the house. Also the pointy part of the A coil usually points in the direction of the air flow.
@@gial8862 The air from the blower blows through the coils to send cool air through the vents to your house. Condensation will form from the warmer air and drip down. So the UV light, as others have mentioned, should be above that. It will shine on the coil, and the drip area. Some furnace units recommend UV on each side above the A coils to ensure the UV is able to get to all affected areas.
My HVAC was installed in 2016. I think placement depends on what worries you most. Bad mold is not in the HVAC itself but in the walls. What most people are troubled with is whats being SUCKED into the system or BLOWN throughout the house. When my HVAC people were asked, they said best placement is in the main duct work feed. Any "bugs" that makes it past the filter (mine are 4inch wide merv 13). This would sterilize bacteria, viruses , etc. Or right before the bend in the return to the filter which would kill the nasty stuff before they got sucked into the filter. They, like this man, stated that the UV-C light over time can harm the some of the hardware but takes time. So, depending on who you ask, you get 3 different answers. Bottom line, what ware you trying to clean will help you decide where it needs to go. For me, it has to be just above my Humidifier which is in the return vent, 4 feet above the filter/fan. I've yet to see anyone address how this will shorten the life of your bulb if it's in an areas where it's getting hit with moist air all the time.
@@tc1uscg65 Moisture shouldn't affect the bulb at all. Over time, moisture may cause oxidation of the copper contacts in the bulb socket. This could be prevented by coating the copper contacts with dielectric grease/compound. I recommend silicon based dielectric compound. Could be applied with a Q-tip. Obviously ensure the unit is disconnected from power first.
Thanks for sharing. Excellent work! The UV glasses is the less obvious but definitely a good call.
I had planned on using this type of light in another application and I have UV protection eyewar for myself but adding the UV window port was pretty ingenious, thanks for the tip.
If you are not concerned about the little if any mold on the coils (IMO, if you have mold on your coils, you should be finding the root cause instead of damage control). I want to kill bacteria, viruses, zap dander before it hits my filter element. I've heard you can install these AFTER the furnace or before the filter. With that said. Great video and your little helper is a natural. Good work.
Just asking for input. I just installed this unit in my duct work and it continues to shut off after 1.5 minutes? If I unplug and re-plug it goes for another 1.5 minutes? also. can this start a fire with the fiberglass insulation in my duct? So far I'm not impressed!!!
So, been 2 years+, how has this unit been? Still working, notice a difference?
Always on the supply side past the filter in your case in between the a coil because you don't really have a supply plenum. that thing is going to prematurely fail due to the dust from the return
Good job…👍 Thanks 🙏
Good job…!!👍 Thanks 🙏
I have an outside heat pump for cooling and heating. There is inside unit and both the return and supply are in the crawlspace and are SOFT duct. Can you install one of these units in outside heatpump? If so how is it protected from exposure to weather, rain, etc.
Wat is the thickness of your ac duct 11/2 or 2 inches. My concern is bulbs touching duct
How often do these bulbs need to be replaced? and where can they bought?
Boss where did you get the special tape?
Put it in the evaporator coil, and patch those two holes up. You are just wasting electricity with that in the duct.
Hello everyone Thank You So Much for all the support (BTW I’m the girl in this vid) but Thank you all for the subs, the views, likes, and all the comments! :)
Excellent video.
Dose the light need to constantly on.?
And do you think any harmful effects or fumes go throughout the air circulation throughout the house?
Thank you. The light should remain on at all times. We have had the system installed for over a month and we need to get a follow up video released, so make sure to subscribe to hear everything. This system does not create any smell that I have noticed. Some people have said that, in older construction, UV systems have stopped the mold smell they had prior to installing a UV system.
@@diyspecialists710 there is one thing to note. if this is installed in the supply side of the duct and the light hits flex ducting the uv light will degrade those ducts in about 2 years. To prevent that the flex duct needs to be lined with something that is UVC light proof or sections of the flex duct needs to be replaced with UVC proof flex duct. This applies only what is in direct contact with the UV light.
Also if there are any wiring that is exposed inside the furnace or air handler to the UV light the cabling needs to be wrapped as UV light will break down the insulation of the wiring. This is especially true if installing in the return side of a furnace or air handler.
If the UV light is installed where the light can hit the air filter the UV light will break down the paper media in the filter causing holes to form in the filter so be sure to install it away from contact of the air filter.
the best location if practical and possible is in the supply side duct right in front of the coil. as your video states the light will kill bacteria, viruses and molds which is always good for health reduce odors etc. But also inhibiting mold growth on the coils keeps the air flow at max efficiency as the mold growth inhibits airflow through the evaporator coil. If it's impractical to install the UV light in the supply side near the coild you can purchase a stand alone coil UV light that can be installed in the coil and work in tandem with the main UV light.
@@luv2uallday1 uv bulb are most effective at 40c. Won't the cold air and the fast moving air (decreasing exposure time) be less effective than installing on the return side?
What about the ozone that gets made
Great installation video very thorough with precautions and I'm anticipating a one month review how bout allergy relief
Thank you. We have not noticed a significant difference, but I can say we have had no asthma attacks since the install. That may be due in part because we have a significant filter system with hospital grade MERV protection throughout the house. Shortly after recording the video, I installed the same UV light for someone else and they have noticed a significant difference. They have a normal filter system.
I wrote my comment late at night and based on how I thought. The next day, I asked my wife and she thought it had made a big difference. Her thoughts were that it maybe helped with the oak pollen that affects her greatly during the spring here in South Florida.
Thanks for the video. I have a couple of questions: how many UVC power out is generated by the lamps, and for your filter system, have you use another blower to increase airflow after passing the filter? Thanks again!
Here is some irony-- The exact same day I installed 2 of these on my duct (in an attempt to kill Corona virus), I started having symptoms--- Tested the next day... Positive... Fortunately I had mild disease, my wife got symptoms 4 days later, slightly worse symptoms...Positive also--- we are recovering well.
Good! We are glad we could catch some of the virus and to get rid of it quickly. :)
@Not Me The ones in the video? I've been running ours since November without any issues.... I forgot they were even on.... I just unplugged them last week.... We bought to try and prevent Covid.... We are all vaccinated now so i saw no reasin to continue to run them.... If they made u ill it is possible they were the wrong wavelength of UV.... Certain wave lengths of UV can produce ozone... The ones in the video are not supposed to.... If u are confident this made u sick u should see a physician right away IMO....
@Not Me www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ozone/default.html
At the beginning of your video; what does the diamond logo represent ? Thanks
Illuminati bruh....
I’m the editor of this vid and to answer your question, it was the type of editing style I used because I am all new to editing, but we don’t want to pay for an editor until we start making more videos.
@@jacey770
Thanks! Richard Tipton answered me and he’s right! You might not know though!
Does the unit be installed prior to the filter or after the filter.....does it matter?
It doesn’t matter. After installing where I did and Covid-19, I have thought seriously about putting more throughout my duct system both before and after. Just remember that the UV light will kill mold and viruses before getting to the condenser, so I would say before if having only one UV light.
@@diyspecialists710 The condensing coil is on the outside unit (with compressor). The inside coil is the evaporator coil. For a UV that is on 24x7 better place is below the A coil or evaporator coil. The damage caused by UV actually will do more damage faster to your flex duct system and other 'plastic' parts rather than the coil or galvanized plenum. That assumes you are using UV-C wavelength light.
Any thoughts on installing a sail switch to match the on/off of the light with the on/off of your AC?
Best to leave on 24/7 for longevity of the bulb.
Good video
How much power of UV light required for 100 CFM blower.
Not quite sure I understand how to answer your question, but maybe I can get it right. First off, there is no blower connected to the unit itself. The blower in the air handler is what moves the air past the UV light. The unit gets plugged into a typical 120 volt receptacle and does not seem to use much electricity. The product rating does not really cover something like that, because UV light does not kill viruses, bacteria and molds at the same rate. My research has it that some viruses are more hardy and require more UV light to die. That is why I have really thought about installing more UV lights throughout the duct.
Thanks
The unit my installer wants to use is the Respicaire Oxy 4.
Awesome tutorial. Thanks. What kind of tape did you use and where can I find it? Thanks
It is aluminum foil tape and you can get it at most hardware stores.
I think we should create a device like this cars and mail trucks so that way if the mail carrier who is driving the vehicle is not being contaminated and they are not contaminating anything in the vehicle like packages and mail and other items,infact I also think they should just have some way to sanitize any mail or packages that come into the building,because mail carrier's have a very big potential to spread the virus even if It's by accident.
You going shopping has same potential. What do u do w your groceries?
Hospitals use UV lights in hallways near kitchens, supply rooms. I have seen some 5 foot long in corners etc....
Peace of mind? Placebo effect. The air moves past those lamps too fast to do squat. Needs to shine on your coil.
No it won’t you can only mess up the wires or any other plastics that’s not UVC rated. Trust me I cannot mess up steel copper or the aluminum or the brass. I’ve been dealing with them for 25 years
Where's the link to price? I checked Amazon and what I could find was priced at $99.00 plus shipping. So where's the $60 dollar one???
It's called "dynamic pricing," and it's when online retailers change the price
of a product depending on factors like your browsing or purchase history,
operating system, and even your zip code.
EBay has several very similar models from 60 to 80 dollars.
you can check price history at camel camel camel, basically the price when up after Corona virus pandemic started
My dad got this on sale and we are sorry for not mentioning that in the video.
@Not Me I put my own uv light and never got that reaction from it. I had it on for an entire year with no side effects.
Did you ever check the status of your evap coils?? If they were full of gunk then the uv light was burning that stuff off causing the smell
Great video 👍 is it more effective to install 2 of them, or is that dangerous?
On the supply! Not the return! Just FYI
Install on air sully cloest indoor coil
As HVAC professionals we need to bring attention to the need for proper HVAC to clean the air of Covid -19. True it is not an end all solution to solving the pandemic, but it does give us another layer of protection and another tool in our tool belt in this battle against Covid-19
That works
Glad it helped. Thank you for the feedback.
It actually burns the fiberglass faster LOL
That looks like it might be too close to the filter
Thanks for the comment. The unit is somewhat close to the filter as it receives indirect UV light, but I am not concerned with UV light hurting the filter. The filter gets changed out regularly and before it gets degraded enough to matter. That was part of the reason for putting the unit at that location. I have seen these units placed in the box shining directly on the filter and I think that is okay because like before, the filter had a high MERV rating and thick enough so that the UV light did not shine through the filter and that they get changed out frequently enough.
No warranty
Your are not concerned about extra ozone gas being absorbed by your lungs while this is on?
The manufacturer claims it does not make ozone.
hey jacey
Number 1 defense to cover in the home is
don't let any one else inside other than family.
U-V light will not protect inside your home from
passing on a covid infection. It also does not work for Hospitals.
hey buddy get some closer shots
Don’t stare at it
Ever tried to look up Reko Lighting. Complete crock no such business.
Vice is very low, can not hear you talking very bad video.
Fix this audio on you video
Fix the audio can not hear you on you video.
Lol go to the doctor.
Waste of time and money , the "surface" needs at least 10 seconds of surface contact , you don't have that in an air duct where the air moves at all times . Now , that unit will produce ozone molecules so I wouldn't use it especially around children. Don't cheap out when it's about health.
Thank you for your comment. Just interested to see if you can point to any studies that support these findings. I’ve always been told that ozone helps us.
This unit is ozone free I do not know where did you find that info on the ozone.
Ozone is produced from uvc 184 nm. These bulbs are 254 nm
@@flushiez according to this link-- ozone is produced from UV light between 160-240 nm-- still in the ok range at 254 nm.... Just clarifying... It also say that UV wavelenghts between 240-280 nm will destroy OZONE--- so this should remove ozone from your house not produce it....
www.oxidationtech.com/ozone/ozone-production/uv-lamp.html#:~:text=As%20the%20wavelength%20(nm)%20increases,will%20create%20ozone%20from%20oxygen.
Actually got highest reviews.