Need an effective solution to fight germs in your home and give indoor air quality a big boost? UV-light systems offer an effective solution for many homeowners, as they specifically target germs like bacteria and viruses and other microorganisms such as mold.

And in San Antonio’s often-humid climate — which provides an especially hospitable environment for airborne microorganisms — germ-fighting ultraviolet (UV) lights can significantly improve your indoor air quality.

Here’s how a UV-light system works:

• Generally installed alongside your cooling equipment, UV lights emit rays that target mold, viruses and bacteria.
• Once the cells are zapped by the UV rays, their core structure changes at the DNA level, which makes them incapable of reproducing.
• As your cooling equipment and ductwork work to circulate the air in your home, the UV lights clean it with each pass.

Using UV lights offers homeowners an additional benefit: They help to keep your air-conditioning system clean, too. Your A/C cooling coil’s damp environment often serves as a comfortable home for pollutants such as mold spores. Buildup on the coil can affect your system’s overall efficiency, causing it to consume more energy and decreasing its performance. With UV lights, generally installed directly over the system’s coils, you’ll see a noticeable difference in your system’s overall performance and indoor air quality.

Too much humidity is a problem in some homes because of oversized A/C equipment. When an A/C is too large, it is generally less able to manage humidity, as large A/C systems tend to run less often but emit strong blasts of cooled air. And a humid environment attracts germs. If you suspect that equipment size is contributing to a less-than-ideal home environment, have an expert evaluate your systems.

It’s important to note that, in general, an ultraviolet-light system only works as long as your A/C system is running. That’s because the A/C keeps the air moving throughout your home and through the lights.

Use the power of UV lights to improve your home’s indoor air quality, and simultaneously get a cleaner A/C system. For expert advice, contact Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

UV light image via Shutterstock

Wondering what indoor air-quality sources affect your home’s air? The experts at Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning recommend an indoor air-quality test to determine the sources at hand. Typically, homeowners who suffer from allergies or other respiratory issues can improve home comfort with an air-purification system that effectively addresses the problem of  air-quality sources.

There are many types of air purifiers on the market, so how do you know which one to choose? An effective air purifier should be able to:

• Permanently remove particles. If a system uses ionization, it will typically charge pollutants so they stick to surfaces throughout your home, leading to more dust or a white film. A good air purifier should permanently trap particles inside the system, without releasing them again into your home.
• Operate efficiently over the long term. Ask your indoor air-quality expert about long-term efficiency. Many system ratings show their performance capabilities within the first hour of operation. But you’ll need your air purifier to function in a year as well as it did on its first day.
• Remove the smallest particles. Most problematic indoor air-quality sources that affect your health are tiny – as small as 0.1 microns (smaller than a pollen particle). So make sure the system you choose can address ultra-small particles.
• Remove gas and chemicals. Gases and chemicals found in your home’s air are also likely to cause health problems. If you’re going to invest in a system, make sure it can eliminate particles and gases and chemicals.

At Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning we offer a range of indoor air-quality solutions, including ultraviolet light and dehumidification systems, electronic air cleaners and HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filtration. We generally recommend IQAir’s Perfect 16 air purifier to take care of indoor air-quality sources that impact your home comfort, as this system uses several technologies combined to address bacteria, mold, pet dander, dust and most other common household allergens.

Contact us today for more information, or to schedule an indoor air quality test. Jon Wayne serves the Greater San Antonio area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Air purification image via Shutterstock

Most new homes today are tightly sealed, and for good reason: A tightly sealed home prevents heated and cooled air from escaping and increases energy savings. Even older homes subject to drafts can be effectively sealed. However, the technology that has allowed homes to reduce the amount of heated or cooled air that escapes has also created conditions for less-than-ideal indoor air quality. If you or a family member has concerns about indoor-air pollutants, such as mold, an ultraviolet light system might be just what you need.

UV lights emit rays that target a specific class of pollutants, biological organisms such as mold and bacteria. These UV systems are generally installed within your home’s HVAC equipment, near the indoor coil. As the air passes through the light, the UV rays are able to zap pollutants. UV lights are effective, because they are able to break down the cells at the cellular level. If you’ve ever had a bad experience with mold growth, you know that it will reproduce quickly; it’s almost unstoppable. But UV lights target microorganisms’ DNA and render them unable to reproduce, effectively ridding the air of these contaminants.

Not only will your indoor air be cleaner, but the UV lights help to prevent buildup on your HVAC equipment’s indoor coil. When subject to buildup, dirty coils can significantly affect the efficiency of your systems.

In order to get a system that produces effective results, consider these factors:

• The UV system’s bulb’s ability to last over time. Some lower-quality bulbs will lose their intensity quickly.
• The temperature at which the bulb will operate efficiently.
• How long air is exposed to UV light. A quick pass through the UV rays won’t allow the system to target the pollutants.

For effective, targeted action against indoor contaminants, consider an ultraviolet light system. The experts at Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning would be happy to help you select and install one. Feel free to contact us anytime.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about an ultraviolet light system and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

It’s common knowledge that indoor and outdoor air is not pure: Things like pollen, dust and gases are buoyed by the air and can cause problems if you suffer from allergies or are susceptible to other respiratory issues. The best way to address air pollution as a homeowner is to identify what’s lurking in your indoor air. You can’t purify outdoor air, but you can make your home a haven from problematic pollutants. Here’s how:

• Know the common culprits. Two general classes of contaminants — particulates and gases — cause indoor air quality problems. Examples of common particulates are dust mites, mold, pollen and pet dander. Gases include carbon monoxide and organic chemicals from building materials or carpet. And these pollutants are of varying microscopic sizes.
• Test your air. The best way to identify what’s lurking in the air in your home is through professional testing. Air-quality testing devices can measure the contaminants in the air and provide specific, detailed information about common problematic sources.
• Choose an air-cleaning plan. Once testing reveals sources of pollution, you can really begin to attack the source through air-cleaning technology. There is a variety of technologies that effectively target and eliminate contaminants. If mold is causing problems, you can implement an ultraviolet light air-purifying system. Combined with your HVAC equipment, air purifiers clean the home’s air when it’s generally on the way out of the system, or upstream. Alternatively, there are products that can attack multiple classes of contaminants, ideal for people whose health problems are triggered by a variety of pollutants. Whole-house air-purification systems can remove bacteria, mold, dust and more from indoor air. Other options include electronic air cleaners, HEPA filtration systems and extended life filters.

To get expert advice, contact Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning. We carry a wide variety of air-filtration systems, air purifiers and filters. We also have more than 30 years of experience servicing San Antonio-area homes and providing top-of-the-line indoor air-quality products for area residents.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about indoor air quality and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Jon Wayne Heating and Air Conditioning services  San Antonio and the surrounding communities of Seguin, New Braunfels, Bulverde, Boerne, and Comal County.  Visit our website to see our special offers to get started today!

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Indoor air quality is one of the most underestimated health hazards that confront San Antonio homeowners. Unfortunately, it’s also common. Indoor air is often home to a host of contaminants, including dust and dust mites, mold spores, bacteria and viruses, pet dander, pollen and cleaning fumes.

Ideally, your indoor air quality strategy should involve more than one method. Here are three effective strategies that can help improve the air you breathe.

Advanced filtration

Standard, disposable air filters are typically able to trap only about 5 percent to 15 percent of particles. Advanced options are available:

• HEPA filters, or high efficiency particulate air filters, do a superior job of capturing particles that can irritate allergies or other respiratory problems. They can trap 99.97 percent of particles small as .3 microns across. True HEPA filters are too restrictive for all or the air circulated thru your HVAC, so only a portion of that air should be channelled thru the HEPA. Doing this over a long period of time geatly increases the IAQ of a home.
• Extended-life filters have large surfaces, require minimal maintenance and trap extremely small contaminants much better than even the best 1″ throw-away filters, and since they normally only require changing once or twice a year, are more economical to maintain.
• Air purification systems that utilize more than one method of killing microorganisms and trapping contaminants can clean air as many as eight times an hour.

UV light

UV light purification systems destroy microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria by rupturing their cellular structure. The damaged microorganism is unable to repair or reproduce itself and is rendered harmless. Ultraviolet light is a natural sterilizer due to its high frequency.

Dehumidification

A high humidity level may be uncomfortable for you, but it makes for prime growing conditions for microorganisms, such as mold. Mold can grow on HVAC equipment, around moist windowsills, in damp bathrooms, inside walls and elsewhere. Whole-house dehumidifiers can remove several gallons of moisture from your air every day.

By balancing relative humidity levels around 50 percent, you can stem the growth of microorganisms. A UV light system can work in conjunction with these efforts by killing any microorganisms that do happen to be present. Advanced filtration systems capture remaining particles such as dust, dust mites, pollen and other allergens.

Don’t be daunted by poor indoor air quality. There are many options to improve it. Questions? Please contact the experts at Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning. We’re happy to help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about indoor air quality and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Jon Wayne Heating and Air Conditioning services  San Antonio and the surrounding communities of Seguin, New Braunfels, Bulverde, Boerne, and Comal County. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.

Ultraviolet light is one of our most powerful weapons in the ongoing battle against indoor air pollution. Microorganisms such as mold, bacteria and viruses make their way into your home, contributing to the poor indoor air quality that the Environmental Protection Agency cites as a top health concern. UV light cleans your air by neutralizing dangerous microorganisms, rendering them harmless.

UV light is a sterilizing agent that is naturally found in the environment, and it is concentrated to great effect in purification systems. How can light clean your air? Its high frequency ruptures the cell structures of microorganisms, altering their nucleic acid and making it impossible for them to repair themselves or reproduce. In the environment, ultraviolet rays present in sunlight are organic sterilizers and are some of nature’s strongest weapons against spreading disease.

Ultraviolet light can neutralize potentially hazardous microorganisms, including:

• Viruses
• Bacteria
• Fungi
• Mold spores

Ultraviolet light performs the same way in indoor air purifiers as it does outdoors, but at a stronger, more concentrated level. UV purifiers are quiet, safe and effective. Air passes through an exposure unit, where it is treated with UV light, then circulated back into your home. The light doesn’t pass out of the exposure unit; your family, pets and plants face no risk from it.

How do you know if you have indoor air problems? Microorganisms are too small for the eye to see. The primary way they enter your body is through dust. That’s how they accumulate on household surfaces and collect in carpets and upholstery. But just because you can’t see excessive dust  doesn’t mean contaminants aren’t present.

By cleansing your air of dangerous microorganisms, UV purifiers can help benefit people suffering from:

• Respiratory problems
• Asthma
• Skin irritations
• Chronic colds
• Ongoing fatigue and lethargy

Your home should be a safe, comfortable place. If you think a UV light air cleaner might help make it that way, please contact Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning. Serving the San Antonio area, we’re always happy to provide answers.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about UV lights and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Jon Wayne Heating and Air Conditioning services  San Antonio and the surrounding communities of Seguin, New Braunfels, Bulverde, Boerne, and Comal County. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.

Do you own an older house that may have problems with mold and mildew? Do you have someone in the family who has severe allergies? If so, you may want to ask your local HVAC company to explain the benefits of UV lights. Here in Texas, many homes suffer from an accumulation of air pollutants. Air pollutants can irritate existing health conditions, especially any condition related to breathing and lung function.

You’re probably wondering what HVAC UV lights can do to minimize these problems. Your conventional HVAC air filtration system is designed to trap a remove a percentage of the air pollutants that filter through the system each day, but these systems can only do so much. Changing the filters often can improve the efficiency of traditional systems, but the best way to improve the filtration capacity is to install UV lights.

High efficiency air filtration systems with UV lights HVAC use ultraviolet lights to kill bacteria, mold, mildew and other airborne pollutants. This means the air pollutants are actually destroyed, completely removing them from the air, which improves your home’s air quality considerably. The food industry has used UV lights to sterilize food preparation environments for years; that’s how effective these lights are at decimating pollutants.

There are several ways to install UV lights. You can have your HVAC contractor install lights inside your existing system, or you can buy an entire filtration system with the lights included. An HVAC expert can tell you how efficient your current system is and give you quotes on a variety of options.

Installing lights is not that expensive, although you will want to change out the bulbs every year or so for maximum effectiveness. If you have an allergy sufferer in the home, you will notice a significant improvement in the air quality, which can make a huge impact on quality of life.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about UV lights and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Jon Wayne Heating and Air Conditioning services  San Antonio and the surrounding communities of Seguin, New Braunfels, Bulverde, Boerne, and Comal County. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.

Here in San Antonio, home comfort is not a luxury, it’s a necessity . This part of Texas is known for it’s unpredictable climate, so if you want to have a leg up on mother nature while indoors, you need to be on your toes. To most, maintaining an efficient and effective home comfort system seems like a big job. But armed with a little knowledge and the right team, home comfort is a breeze.

Like your computer or your car, to get the best in home comfort, you might need to make a few upgrades. For example, adding a dehumidifier to remove excess moisture from the air could allow you to actually run the AC less, but still feel comfortable. A/C enhancers can do the trick for you here as well, and are simpler to install to existing system.

Any high performance machine comes with some type of filtration process, and your home comfort system is no different. Upgrading to electronic filters can collect up to 94% of the allergens in the air, while adding extended life filters can cut replacement time and improving overall efficiency.

UV lamps reduce mold on the cooling coil of your AC with the power of sunlight, and air purifiers capture potentially harmful bacteria lurking in your home. Both are simple upgrades to install with the help of the experienced technicians here at Jon Wayne.

Zoning your home might be a good idea as well. That entails adding zones to your AC system that make it easier to maintain a consistent temperature throughout your home. This is especially helpful if you have some areas that tend to feel hotter or cooler than others.

At Jon Wayne we can  make your upgrades a reality. Schedule a Free Home Evaluation with us.  We’ll give you a step by step assessment of your system and recommend the best hi-tech upgrades for your home’s HVAC system.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about  hi-tech home comfort and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Jon Wayne Heating and Air Conditioning services  San Antonio and the surrounding communities of Seguin, New Braunfels, Bulverde, Boerne, and Comal County. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.

We’ve been talking a little bit about indoor air quality and why it’s become such a big public health issue.  Keeping your indoor air clean is important not only for your family’s well-being but also for the health of your home and HVAC system.  Air in which most of the contaminants have been removed will allow everyone to breathe easier and keep system components functioning properly for longer.

One way to help your HVAC system get rid of unhealthy microscopic pollutants is with UV (ultraviolet) light technology.  UV light products can be used individually or can be combined with an EAC (Electronic Air Cleaner) to prevent or diminish the health risks that mold and bacteria present.  UV light is able to restrict the growth of germs and allergens, as well.

Designed to work within your forced air heating and cooling system, an HVAC UV whole house air purifier installs directly into the ductwork to purify the air that passes through the system.  Instead of just blowing air around, you can turn that air movement into an air purification machine.

With UV light air purifiers, ultraviolet energy waves are used to kill microorganisms found in an indoor atmosphere.  In order to be effective, the UV radiation must make direct contact with the harmful bacteria to make sure that it’s exterminated.  The ultraviolet rays then infiltrate the organism, causing the molecular bonds to stop functioning properly and destroying the cells.  This is an effective solution for reducing the allergens in your home and improving your indoor air quality.

Bryant has a nice UV light product, and we offer other options that will keep your A/C coil clean and the air in your home safe to breathe.  These air cleaning products can easily be added to existing systems and are an ideal solution if your family suffers from asthma or seasonal allergies.  And, these units are low-maintenance.  They generally only require a bulb replacement every year or so.

UV light products can rid your home of uninvited guests such as mold, bacteria and allergens, so ask us about UV light solutions for your home.  We can perform an air quality test to determine the quality of your home’s indoor air and come up with a solution that will help you breathe easy, stay healthy and be comfortable all year round.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about UV lights improving air quality and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Jon Wayne Heating and Air Conditioning services  San Antonio and the surrounding communities of Seguin, New Braunfels, Bulverde, Boerne, and Comal County. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.

Have you ever wondered why your allergies start acting up every time you walk into your home?  Or why it seems like you’re constantly dusting the furniture?  Do you or other family members suffer from recurring respiratory problems?  Poor indoor air quality doesn’t always manifest itself in obvious ways, but it sure affects a lot of things, including the quality of your life at home.

Indoor air quality has become a serious issue in the past few decades.  Homes are being built “tighter” now, in an effort to make them more energy efficient.  A tight home is one that’s sealed tightly against air leaks.  Better insulation, vapor barriers and new technology in windows and doors all contribute to better energy-efficiency.  They also contribute to poor indoor air quality by trapping dirt, dust, humidity and pollutants inside your home.

Unless cleaned through mechanical means, this “dirty air” circulates continuously through the ductwork, often making you and your family sick and even damaging your home and HVAC system.

Since it can’t breathe well on its own, a tight home needs help in getting rid of contaminants that cause poor indoor air quality and the health problems that come with it.  Since the average American now spend a staggering 90% of his time indoors, indoor air quality has become a major public health concern.  At Jon Wayne, we have solutions to the problem.  We like to tackle your indoor air issues in 3 main ways:

1. Filtration- Advanced filtration products such as electronic air cleaners, HEPA and extended life air filters and air purification systems can be easily installed on your current A/C system by one of our techs.  These products trap allergens and in some cases even kill bacteria, mold, and viruses that cause illness and pollute your indoor air.

2. UV lights- Your A/C coils and ductwork are favorite places for mold and bacteria to hang out and breed.  Buildup of these contaminants can reduce the efficiency of your HVAC system and release spores and musty odors into your home.  UV, or ultraviolet, lights sterilize your coils, making your HVAC system a less hospitable place for harmful pollutants.

3. Dehumidification- High levels of humidity in your home can lead to mold growth, an uncomfortable clammy feeling in the home, and warpage of your home’s wood components.  Moist air also rusts out system components, leading to early failure and possible costly repairs.  Whole house dehumidifiers and A/C enhancers remove moisture from the air, allowing you to set your A/C a few degrees higher and remain comfortable.  This saves you on energy costs while improving your indoor air.

We feel that indoor air quality is an issue that every homeowner should be concerned about.  If you’d like to know more about the quality of the air you breathe in your home, schedule a free home evaluation with one of our Jon Wayne Comfort Advisors.  We can find a solution that works for you.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about indoor air quality and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Jon Wayne Heating and Air Conditioning services  San Antonio and the surrounding communities of Seguin, New Braunfels, Bulverde, Boerne, and Comal County. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.