UV Light for AC System, Cleans HVAC Ducts and AC Coils of Bacteria, Germs, Mold and Allergens, Complete Unit, 50-BUVAS-E

Only time will tell if these truly benefit our air quality in the long run, and I'll update my review in a year or so, but based on the quality of construction and ease of installation, assuming they do what they say, I give them 5 stars. I purchased 3 and installed 2 in my main unit and the 3rd one in my secondary unit. It was very easy to install if you just put it in the outlet plenum. I've had them in for about a week and noticed the air does smell cleaner, and I have less trouble with wheezing. I did A/C work for several years when I was younger, so I had a bit of an advantage, but as long as you don't drill into the main body of the A/C unit, you should be fine, so sticking it in the return or outlet plenum boxes should be fine as these are usually just big empty (usually aluminum) boxes where the ducts connect to the main unit. But make sure you know for certain there is nothing where you are drilling. As you open the hole up, be careful not to let the drill drive into the unit, and you can cut back the insulation with a knife and shine a flash light inside to be sure. Even if you are careful, you still run the risk of the guide bit (center bit in the hole saw bit) drilling through something on the inside without knowing it. If you feel any pushback or pressure, stop drilling and look. In my case, the return comes directly into the unit and is about 2 inches from the coil, so I don't have a return plenum. I had to do a bit extra work to install so that the light is shining between the A frame coil and the return duct. Basically, I just took the panels off the side, then took the outer panel off the coil, measured the location that had plenty of empty space around it in the center of the coil, put all the panels back on, then drilled through them with the provided bit. I only had to drill through the side of the A/C unit and the outer panel on the coil with the large hole saw and drilled a smaller hole, just big enough for the light rod through the inner coil panel. Again, The sticker template that came with it had clear instructions. All hardware was just as advertised and it included an extra screw which may seem small, but I consider it a good sign of quality control. As for the device itself, it's sturdy, was easy to install the bulb, and they engineered it with easy installation in mind. You simply drill the hole, place the outer plastic ring in the hole and screw it down, then install the bulb into the socket, insert the bulb and socket through the ring, and twist it to install. Then, when you twist on the power adapter for power, it covers that small yellow latch which prevents you from being able to pull the light out while it is plugged in (which is a nice safety feature since you shouldn't look at or feel the light). Again, I find this to be a nice touch by the designers. Ignore the review about exposed electrodes. I'm an electrical engineer, and there is nothing dangerous about this device if you install it correctly. The only thing damaging would be exposing the light to your body. Overall, I'm so impressed with the design that I'm satisfied with the money I spent on it, even if it has a minimal impact on my getting sick, though obviously I hope it will help our sick trends.

I have installed 3 of these units and just ordered another one. During the past year, I have been dealing with mold issues throughout my house which stemmed from several leaks, one sudden and several from improperly installed J-Channels for vinyl siding.... missing flashing to push water into my gutters and a leaking chimney cap, all of which resulted in my houses studs and especially OSB getting soaked and mold infested. Unfortunately, I later discovered several hundred square feet of molded OSB in my chimney (builders never wrapped the OSB with Tyvek or other water barrier material)/(see attached photos), which after professional testing, turned out to be Asper nigra (black mold). I tried spraying Concrobium and other agents everywhere to no avail, had my ducts cleaned and sterilized, which helped, but my system was becoming reinfected. Then I isolated the molded areas and removed ALL material.....only then did things improve. I initially installed 3 units: 1) Underneath my AC A-Coil; 2) In Supply Plenum directly over the electric heating elements; 3) In Return Plenum, directly over the chamber where the filter is inserted (to zap any dust that collects); and I intend to install this one; 4) Over the A-Coil and directly underneath the forced air blower. The first install was a bit tricky as I used an ordinary cordless drill and later used an impact drill, which cut through the metal siding like butter. So far, my system is 99% plus Mold/Bacteria FREE and smells great. I still add cleansing tablets to the A-Coil drip pan, but other than that, do nothing. The only drawback is that the Bio-Shield lamp underneath my A-Coil shines directly on the 16x20x1 Merv 8 filters I use and fries them quickly, and I mean QUICKLY....the light definitely has a negative effect on anything paper/cotton/fibrous or plastic. So, I am using Merv 8 filters with built in Carbon fibers, which counteract the UV-C lights effects. When I install the new light under the blower, I intend to wrap all power cords/wiring in reflective 3M foil or other UV-C reflective material. Overall I am extremely pleased with this product. It is extremely easy to install (just make sure your hole is exactly where you want it if drilling through metal casing) and hassle free....AND most importantly, is keeping the A-Coil, drain pan, heating elements and other parts of the system clean......I would NOT recommend installing these lights anywhere in the Supply/Return ducts where the light does not hit parts of your HVAC system and the light will NOT work effectively on moving air.....these lamps are FOR sterilizing stagnant air and most importantly, the parts which can get mold/mildew/bacteria.....UV-C light takes several minutes, if not 10-20 minutes, to be effective on surfaces. If you keep these parts clean and your ducts are clean and metal lined AND dry, you will never deal with this crud again. PS....I also installed a plain UV-C bulb over the drain next to my water heater/water softener and replaced the plastic grate with a metal one.....I used to pour baking soda then Distilled White Vinegar every 3 months to keep 'odors' at bay, but so far the $10 bulb and cheap clip lamp seems to be doing all this for me.