I agree that washable filters are not a good way to go. There should be no $100 upcharge to have provisions for throw a way filters. Have them install the largest widethxhight filter that is commonly available at retail stores. 1 inch thick merv 8 or higher pleated filters do a good job. Progressivly thicker such as 2" and 4" and merv 10 and 12 remove almost anything that agervates respitory ailments. U V treatment is not needed unless prescribed by a doctor for special conditions which would fall under insurance.

a uv light is to 'kill' particulate matter in the duct system/ plenum/ on the coil.
if the ducts, equipement connections & plenum connections are mastic sealed...then nothing is entering the system.

I prefer a mastic sealed duct system, including return air & supply box penetrations into the living space,
and a media filter.

uv lights have to be replaced yearly so it is an added
cost to the actual install. cost of uv light install is higher than $100.

best of luck.

This post was edited by energy_rater_la on Mon, Aug 19, 13 at 11:25

The UV light is a gimmick in homes ... it is used in large commercial buildings and in hospitals to minimize air-borne virus infections and (in hospitals) TB.

But it can't kill pollen or mold spores - even if they are dead they are still allergens.

But for your setup, remembering to change cheap disposable filters once a month would be enough. That and a good vacuum cleaner to get the dog hair before it hits the filters.

I had my A/C unit serviced this week, it just shut down. I flushed the drain pipe and changed the filter and drained the float valve home. The A/C kicked off and ran for about one day. It again stopped....couldn't figure out what was wrong ....so I again flushed the drain pipe, drained the float valve container and poured clorox down the drain pipe AFTER using my shop vac to vac out the drain pipe from the outside(need to let it run for about 3 minutes) it pulled out about one gallon of water plus a load of slime ....this is AFTER I flushed it out. Ran for two days and died again. My regular service man was out of town so I looked up on the net and got a local company. He arrived in an unmarked pick up truck....no name ??? He charged 49.50 for the service call and then opened the air handler......saw all the mold on the inside on the coil (both ends)....after a quick vac he told me that I needed a Ultra Violet light and that he could install one for $1300.00 if I did it in the next two days and he would reduce the charge of the service call and vac job $398.00.....If I waited I had to pay the $398.00 today and then the $1300.00 after the couple of days pass. I just paid the $398.00 which I thought was WAY OVERPRICED !!!!! I checked on line at Amazon.com and Lowes and they have a uv light for the a/c that you just plug in for $119.00 that will last 12,000 hours . The replacement bulb will be $56.00. Hope this helps ?

mold grows when there is moisture and a food source.

adding uv lights without determining where the
moisture comes from is a band aid.

seal the duct/equipment/plenum leakage sites
then the insulation will dry and mold will
become inactive.

or waste your money treating symptoms without
solving the problem. lots of folks go the uv light
route, big money maker for hvac co, and you
pay for install, operation & light bulb changing.

best of luck