Guest guest Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 however i have heard that simple green is not so simple or green, contains toxic ingredients, haven't researched to verify this myself, vinegar and water a good cleaning choice... sue v > >Please Please remember that you never want to kill mold, removal is the >only option. If you try and kill mold, with ozone, UV light, bleach, >disinfectant, or EM1, it will cause the mold to fight back, and pump out >toxin. Many people are harmed when they try and do this. Cleaning with a >product like Simple Green is safe, it will wash away the spores without >irritating them, after everything is clean, you might apply a natural >anti-mold product, like moldzyme, but even that can be dangerous, >because it is almost impossible to remove all the spores. I would >reccomend a dehumidifier in the basement. If it is kept dry ,if will not mold. > > > >> >> Do UV lights work to kill mold? Can I use them in my basement effectively? >> I dont know what's going on down there-the basement has been dry and >clean for 2 years and then last week-I smell mold. Maybe some water got >in somehow? >> I'm upset, I'm discouraged, and I don't want to do this again. >Thinking maybe UV lights are the magic wand I need-everything will be >made better somehow. >> I need to catch this before I start sliding down to complete mold >sickness victim-if that happens I can't get anything done. >> > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 15, 2010 Report Share Posted May 15, 2010 UV does not kill mold it dis-activates it by destroying it's DNA. The UVC Germicidal wavelength is effective in penetrating the cell membrane of the microorganism breaking its DNA structure. When the microorganism DNA sterilization is finished it can no longer reproduce. The purpose of UV is to control the exponential growth of various types of microorganism. Depending on the energy intensity and time exposition it will destroy not only mold, but also bacteria and viruses. To control mold as many already are aware it is important to maintain areas free from dampness, humidity and dust, and if anyone wishes to explore the possibility of using sterilization or particle capture; It could be an option. Using any sort of cleaning chemistry may exacerbate the problem. Controlling microorganism, that can effect us at times, needs to be done continually and consistently. On 5/14/2010 8:38 AM, carondeen wrote: > > > Please Please remember that you never want to kill mold, removal is > the only option. If you try and kill mold, with ozone, UV light, > bleach, disinfectant, or EM1, it will cause the mold to fight back, > and pump out toxin. Many people are harmed when they try and do this. > Cleaning with a product like Simple Green is safe, it will wash away > the spores without irritating them, after everything is clean, you > might apply a natural anti-mold product, like moldzyme, but even that > can be dangerous, because it is almost impossible to remove all the > spores. I would reccomend a dehumidifier in the basement. If it is > kept dry ,if will not mold. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 16, 2010 Report Share Posted May 16, 2010 Your best bet is to check with the manufacture who can provide the technical information and/or any other person who may have used it, if this your preference. The important thing is that it does the job for which it is intended. On 5/16/2010 5:23 AM, surellabaer wrote: > > Interesting information-Ok so just to be clear-if I maintain a clean > and dry basement a UV light (like the Germ Guardian) will help in > maintaining a mold free space or not? Sorry to be so amateur but I > just need a yes or no answer really. Thanks! > > > > > > UV does not kill mold it dis-activates it by destroying it's DNA. The > > UVC Germicidal wavelength is effective in penetrating the cell membrane > > of the microorganism breaking its DNA structure. When the microorganism > > DNA sterilization is finished it can no longer reproduce. The > purpose of > > UV is to control the exponential growth of various types of > > microorganism. Depending on the energy intensity and time exposition it > > will destroy not only mold, but also bacteria and viruses. To control > > mold as many already are aware it is important to maintain areas free > > from dampness, humidity and dust, and if anyone wishes to explore the > > possibility of using sterilization or particle capture; It could be an > > option. Using any sort of cleaning chemistry may exacerbate the > problem. > > Controlling microorganism, that can effect us at times, needs to be > done > > continually and consistently. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 16, 2010 Report Share Posted May 16, 2010 Sorry, but yes and no. The UV light shining directly onto the A/C cooling coils can be very beneficial to prevent mold and bacterial growth on the cooling coils. But UV will not help with mold spores already in the air circulating through the forced air system. The spores don't stay in the UV light long enough. I disagree with the previous post that claim UV destroys the DNA of the mold. PCR and ERMI will still identify mold after UV exposure because they detect only the DNA which means (some of) the DNA remains. UV is able to kill and destroy but it takes as long as 5 minutes of exposure for the larger and darker spores. Not very practical for a forced air system. Perhaps intense UV shining everywhere in the basement all the time would help. But is the basement is clean and dry you don't need mold control because clean and dry IS the mold control. Even if the DNA were destroyed, the other components of mold may not be. Such things and glucans, protease, allergy triggering proteins and the irritants from the particulate remaining. Many of which, by the way, will now be ultra-fine particulate with their own set of physical and chemical characteristics. Removal, removal, removal. Carl Grimes Healthy Habitats LLC ----- Interesting information-Ok so just to be clear-if I maintain a clean and dry basement a UV light (like the Germ Guardian) will help in maintaining a mold free space or not? Sorry to be so amateur but I just need a yes or no answer really. Thanks! > > UV does not kill mold it dis-activates it by destroying it's DNA. The > UVC Germicidal wavelength is effective in penetrating the cell membrane > of the microorganism breaking its DNA structure. When the microorganism > DNA sterilization is finished it can no longer reproduce. The purpose of > UV is to control the exponential growth of various types of > microorganism. Depending on the energy intensity and time exposition it > will destroy not only mold, but also bacteria and viruses. To control > mold as many already are aware it is important to maintain areas free > from dampness, humidity and dust, and if anyone wishes to explore the > possibility of using sterilization or particle capture; It could be an > option. Using any sort of cleaning chemistry may exacerbate the problem. > Controlling microorganism, that can effect us at times, needs to be done > continually and consistently. ---------- The following section of this message contains a file attachment prepared for transmission using the Internet MIME message format. If you are using Pegasus Mail, or any other MIME-compliant system, you should be able to save it or view it from within your mailer. If you cannot, please ask your system administrator for assistance. ---- File information ----------- File: DEFAULT.BMP Date: 16 Jun 2009, 0:10 Size: 358 bytes. Type: Unknown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 16, 2010 Report Share Posted May 16, 2010 If the microorganism does not see the light at the distance required it will be infective, however a proper design (i.e.reflection) can do the job. It is important continue removal, and consistency for proper microorganism control. Yes the DNA of some of the microorganisms is destroyed when brought in by a fan (air intake) into a UV systems, just like the air purifiers that bring in the air and process it. Some microorganism are brought in the system see UV light and are inhibited of reproducing. Cleaning, air sterilization and/or particle capture is better then having to much mold indoors compromising our health. Please refer to Chapter 16 of ASHRAE Manual dedicated to UV and ASHRAE Position on Airborne Infectious Diseases. On 5/16/2010 4:45 PM, Carl E. Grimes wrote: > > Sorry, but yes and no. > > The UV light shining directly onto the A/C cooling coils can be > very beneficial to prevent mold and bacterial growth on the > cooling coils. But UV will not help with mold spores already in the > air circulating through the forced air system. The spores don't > stay in the UV light long enough. > > I disagree with the previous post that claim UV destroys the DNA > of the mold. PCR and ERMI will still identify mold after UV > exposure because they detect only the DNA which means (some > of) the DNA remains. UV is able to kill and destroy but it takes as > long as 5 minutes of exposure for the larger and darker spores. > Not very practical for a forced air system. > > Perhaps intense UV shining everywhere in the basement all the > time would help. But is the basement is clean and dry you don't > need mold control because clean and dry IS the mold control. > > Even if the DNA were destroyed, the other components of mold > may not be. Such things and glucans, protease, allergy triggering > proteins and the irritants from the particulate remaining. Many of > which, by the way, will now be ultra-fine particulate with their own > set of physical and chemical characteristics. > > Removal, removal, removal. > > Carl Grimes > Healthy Habitats LLC > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 16, 2010 Report Share Posted May 16, 2010 Dear CoBip, I have no desire to start a war of words or of citations. But I would like to know your name as a beginning. And if you have newer sources of info relevant to typical residential installations. Carl Grimes Healthy Habitats LLC (fm my Blackberry) Re: [] Re: UV Lights If the microorganism does not see the light at the distance required it will be infective, however a proper design (i.e.reflection) can do the job. It is important continue removal, and consistency for proper microorganism control. Yes the DNA of some of the microorganisms is destroyed when brought in by a fan (air intake) into a UV systems, just like the air purifiers that bring in the air and process it. Some microorganism are brought in the system see UV light and are inhibited of reproducing. Cleaning, air sterilization and/or particle capture is better then having to much mold indoors compromising our health. Please refer to Chapter 16 of ASHRAE Manual dedicated to UV and ASHRAE Position on Airborne Infectious Diseases. On 5/16/2010 4:45 PM, Carl E. Grimes wrote: > > Sorry, but yes and no. > > The UV light shining directly onto the A/C cooling coils can be > very beneficial to prevent mold and bacterial growth on the > cooling coils. But UV will not help with mold spores already in the > air circulating through the forced air system. The spores don't > stay in the UV light long enough. > > I disagree with the previous post that claim UV destroys the DNA > of the mold. PCR and ERMI will still identify mold after UV > exposure because they detect only the DNA which means (some > of) the DNA remains. UV is able to kill and destroy but it takes as > long as 5 minutes of exposure for the larger and darker spores. > Not very practical for a forced air system. > > Perhaps intense UV shining everywhere in the basement all the > time would help. But is the basement is clean and dry you don't > need mold control because clean and dry IS the mold control. > > Even if the DNA were destroyed, the other components of mold > may not be. Such things and glucans, protease, allergy triggering > proteins and the irritants from the particulate remaining. Many of > which, by the way, will now be ultra-fine particulate with their own > set of physical and chemical characteristics. > > Removal, removal, removal. > > Carl Grimes > Healthy Habitats LLC > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 17, 2010 Report Share Posted May 17, 2010 Good job, Surella! You inspected and checked it out before paying for the latest " silver bullet " that will only shoot blanks. Carl Grimes Healthy Habitats LLC ----- ok Carl I get it. I ventured downstairs yesterday to find the smelly culprit (picture me sniffing away at the walls and floor). Anyway, I think it was a piece of that cement sheetrock that people use for showers. It was leaning up against the wall and I smelled something off. Also there were a few 2 x 4's up against the wall. I threw everything out and hosed down the area with a little hydrogen peroxide (bleaching stuff makes me feel safer). Now if you say, Surella, I thought you gutted that basement. Why so much stuff lying around? I'd say, I have NO idea. It seems to spontaneously appear. Every single time I go down there I find something (it's a big basement) and then I swear everything is gone. I hope this was the problem. Otherwise, basement is dry, dehumidifier rarely fills up and the air is good down there. Hopefully this was just a blip. Thanks again for everyone's help. > > Sorry, but yes and no. > > The UV light shining directly onto the A/C cooling coils can be > very beneficial to prevent mold and bacterial growth on the > cooling coils. But UV will not help with mold spores already in the > air circulating through the forced air system. The spores don't > stay in the UV light long enough. > > I disagree with the previous post that claim UV destroys the DNA > of the mold. PCR and ERMI will still identify mold after UV > exposure because they detect only the DNA which means (some > of) the DNA remains. UV is able to kill and destroy but it takes as > long as 5 minutes of exposure for the larger and darker spores. > Not very practical for a forced air system. > > Perhaps intense UV shining everywhere in the basement all the > time would help. But is the basement is clean and dry you don't > need mold control because clean and dry IS the mold control. > > Even if the DNA were destroyed, the other components of mold > may not be. Such things and glucans, protease, allergy triggering > proteins and the irritants from the particulate remaining. Many of > which, by the way, will now be ultra-fine particulate with their own > set of physical and chemical characteristics. > > Removal, removal, removal. > > Carl Grimes > Healthy Habitats LLC ---------- The following section of this message contains a file attachment prepared for transmission using the Internet MIME message format. If you are using Pegasus Mail, or any other MIME-compliant system, you should be able to save it or view it from within your mailer. If you cannot, please ask your system administrator for assistance. ---- File information ----------- File: DEFAULT.BMP Date: 16 Jun 2009, 0:10 Size: 358 bytes. Type: Unknown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.