Frequently Asked Questions

Residential Fresh-Aire UV products are installed by licensed HVAC contractors. Pricing is set by the contractor and is determined by the type of product and the difficulty of the installation. If you need help finding an HVAC service contractor in your area, please contact us for assistance.

Because UV-C light is dangerous to skin and eyes lamp replacements are provided by HVAC service technicians, usually at the same time as routine air system maintenance. If you need help finding an HVAC service contractor in your area please contact us for assistance.

All of our products come with a lifetime warranty on all parts (except lamps) with the exception of Mini UV which comes with a 5 year warranty. Lamps come with a 1 or 2 year warranty.

UV-C light (the frequency used in germicidal UV lights) kills germs by disrupting their DNA which prevents them from reproducing, effectively killing them. In nature this frequency of light is filtered out by the Earth’s atmosphere so microbes have no defense against it.

When a UV light system is installed in a central air system the germ killing effect takes place inside the air system and is limited to that area. There is no danger to any living thing in the home except microbes that are carried by the air into the central air system.

Never look at the UV light when it is lit. UV-C light can give your eyes a painful “sunburn”. Unplug or disconnect the unit to work on it.

These products are intended to be on 24 hours a day. Mold growth doesn’t stop when the blower is off, and cycling the UV light on and off would shorten life of the UV lamp.

Running the air system in “fan” mode will cycle air through the home without turning on the AC or heater. Many programmable thermostats have a setting for this as well.

Yes! Fresh-Aire UV lamps are interchangeable. When it’s time to replace your 1 year UV lamp you can upgrade to a 2 year model.

Yes, Over time the UV effectiveness of the lamps decreases even though the lamp may still be putting out visible light. ‘1 Year’ and ‘2 Year’ lamp designations refer to effective UV output not when the lamp will burn out.

No. UV-C germicidal irradiation can only kill microbes on surfaces that the light shines on directly (surface kill) or that pass by in the air stream (airborne kill).

Have your HVAC technician take a look at the air system. If there is mold growing on the cooling coils that could be the source of the musty smell. One of our standard UV light systems like Blue-Tube UV or Fresh-Aire UV Series 1 will kill the mold and eliminate the smell. For odors in general consider our APCO In-Duct Air Purifier. APCO is specifically designed to fight volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are the source of most household and chemical odors.

Our UV lamps offer the ideal balance of germicidal effectiveness without damaging UV sensitive materials inside the air system.

No. All light is a type of radiation but not the dangerous kind. UV light kills germs by giving them an intense “sunburn” and it only affects things it shines on directly. Nothing spreads into the home except clean air.

Never look directly at, touch, or expose skin close to the UV-C light. Unlike most other manufacturers lamps Fresh-Aire UV lamps can be handled when not lit. This is because they are made using high-quality hard quartz not the soft quartz found in inexpensive imports (handling soft quartz lamps may cause them to fail).

No. Although UV-C light will not pass through plastic or ordinary glass there is still the risk to exposed skin. Always turn off the light or disconnect power to service the system.

No. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can seep into your home from the ground below. It is not the product of any volatile organic compound (VOC) or biological contaminant so UV-C light has no effect on it.

UV-C light will sterilize nearly all microbes with very few exceptions. However, it only affects surfaces that it shines on directly or air that passes through it. Kennel cough is an airborne disease so UV-C would fight its spread through the air system but would have no effect on its spread by dog to dog contact.

Yes, most Fresh-Aire UV systems can be moved to a new air system.

No, APCO produces no ozone, in fact it removes ozone from the air.

The germ-killing effect starts immediately with about 90% of surface microbes sterilized within the first few minutes, and about 99.99% sterilized after the first 24 hours.

No, Ice UV is designed to emit enough UV-C light to kill mold and germs but not so much that would damage plastic parts. There is, however, a possibility that some harmless discoloration may occur particularly on white plastic surfaces. For that reason a sheet of protective adhesive vinyl is included with Ice UV.

At this time only the Purity system includes filter media. The 4” UV Reactive Filter Media included with Purity is rated at MERV 11 which will remove 65% – 79% of particles sized 1.0 – 3.0 Microns.

It is better to install APCO on the supply duct because unfiltered air might deposit dust and other particulates into the carbon cells. However, if the supply duct is not accessible then installation on the return side is acceptable.

The effect of UV-C light falls off quickly with distance because it is filtered by the atmosphere (air) which is why microorganisms have no defense against it. One should always avoid close direct exposure to skin and eyes, but reflected UV-C light at a distance is not at all dangerous.