UV shower lamp

Thread Starter

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
I have a serious problem with mold in my shower. I have a pump-up lawn chemical sprayer full of bleach in the shower that I use 2-3 times per week to douse the shower, but all I'm doing is marginally keeping it at bay. If I get lazy or run out of bleach and let it go for a week with a spray, I get strips of black mold carpet detaching from the underside of the door.

What I want to do is install a waterproof UV-C light in the shower, maybe on a timer, to come on a few times per day and irradiate this crap. It seems like there would be such a product, but I have not found it. That's what I'm asking; have you guys seen or heard of anything like this?

If not, I guess I'm going to have to make one. Best thing I can find is a pond lamp; it UV bulb is encased in a plastic chamber and the water flows over it.
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
Under the door...Do you keep the door closed?
Don't answer that. TMI

How about a nice, 90 cfm ceiling fan connected to the light switch? They don't even mount in the ceiling any more. You run a 4 or 5 inch flexi-duct to them in the attic. Keeps the noise down.

Ventilation is the first thing to improve, especially when the UV lamps in my day job industry are so outrageously priced, like, over a thousand dollars, and they're just 12 inch tubes:eek:

The best way I can be on your side is to say, "Do not look in the air conditioning industry for UV lights."
 

Thread Starter

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
Under the door...Do you keep the door closed?
Don't answer that. TMI
;)
How about a nice, 90 cfm ceiling fan connected to the light switch? They don't even mount in the ceiling any more. You run a 4 or 5 inch flexi-duct to them in the attic. Keeps the noise down.
That's a good idea; I hadn't realized how much ventilation played a part until I started reading about UV for mold prevention.

Ventilation is the first thing to improve, especially when the UV lamps in my day job industry are so outrageously priced, like, over a thousand dollars, and they're just 12 inch tubes:eek:

The best way I can be on your side is to say, "Do not look in the air conditioning industry for UV lights."
Yeah, it's wierd, I've ran across the kilobuck bulbs you're talking about, and then I've ran across bulbs like these for $15. I don't know what the difference is.

One thing I'm finding is that LEDs at the proper wavelength for mold/germ combat (254nm) aren't available commercially. They exist, but for unimaginable prices.

Also, the pond lamps are likely 185nm, and produce ozone. So not great to have in bathroom.

So now I'm back to square one.
 

t06afre

Joined May 11, 2009
5,934
Mold need moist. So start with ventilation. Leave the door to the shower open as much as you can then not using it. Use a squeegee and a towel in the shower also then done showering.
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
I think you're barking up the wrong tree, considering the UV will hurt your little curtain climber. UV germicidal is for places where humans are not.
 

Thread Starter

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
I think you're barking up the wrong tree, considering the UV will hurt your little curtain climber. UV germicidal is for places where humans are not.
I am aware that it is harmful, but I think of it as being about as harmful as a welding arc; is that accurate? That's the reason for having it on a timer; so that it only turns on when humans are not in the bathroom, like in the middle of the night.

I suspect that this is the reason why I cannot find any kind of UV fixture like I want. No company is going to sell something like this, because they would likely be slapped with law suits when someone doesn't read the box and gets a bad burn.

...but weed eaters and cleaning chemicals are dangerous too and they're still sold to the public, so it makes me question just how dangerous UV really is....

so how dangerous is it then? Is exposure to UV more dangerous than exposure to a welding arc?
 

loosewire

Joined Apr 25, 2008
1,686
T06, you make good sense ,mold need moisture. Dry air does prevent growth.

By the way flute has an instrument to track moisture in the walls.
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
I think a UV lamp and a welding arc would have similar bad results in this case,
"Sunburn" and eye damage.
Those $15 lamps had a good description of how to avoid ozone. You're looking for UV C.
I guess I missed the part about a timer in the first post.
Still, ventilation is the first step.

My method is to use a spray bottle of diluted Clorox, but I have very little mold problem. Just a bit in the shower, and not very consistent. Maybe because I have a ceiling fan connected to the light switch. The idea of mold big enough to pick up with your fingers boggles my mind, and I live on a peninsula in Florida. I am surrounded by water in a state that is famous for humidity.
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
That might be true, but I suspect that website has an axe to grind.
"Bleach itself is 99% water."
But the label on my bottle of Clorox says 6% Sodium Hypochlorite.
Yet, it doesn't matter. A 1% solution works just fine.

"The ionic structure of bleach prevents chlorine from penetrating into porous materials..." while, at the same time, "Chlorine bleach accelerates the deterioration of materials and wears down the fibers of porous materials"...while not penetrating them???
I don't think so.

Not arguing that bleach kills everything, just doubting the motives of that website.
 
I have a serious problem with mold in my shower. I have a pump-up lawn chemical sprayer full of bleach in the shower that I use 2-3 times per week to douse the shower, but all I'm doing is marginally keeping it at bay. If I get lazy or run out of bleach and let it go for a week with a spray, I get strips of black mold carpet detaching from the underside of the door.

What I want to do is install a waterproof UV-C light in the shower, maybe on a timer, to come on a few times per day and irradiate this crap. It seems like there would be such a product, but I have not found it. That's what I'm asking; have you guys seen or heard of anything like this?

If not, I guess I'm going to have to make one. Best thing I can find is a pond lamp; it UV bulb is encased in a plastic chamber and the water flows over it.
UV Lamp is not going to do it.

Last year one of our buildings had it's lower levels flooded as a large water line burst. We had to gut two floors and mold grew on the concrete walls.

At first we tried just about everything and although I realize I am not talking about a shower...some specific types of mold are not only pervasive but outright deadly.

We ended up having to bring in a Mold Remediation Crew which although was covered by the insurance...cost a fortune and took several applications before the mold was controlled.

I say controlled because once certain types of mold starts growing on certain materials...unless you gut and remove the material...the mold never leaves.

Your best bet is to either find someone you know who knows someone in Mold Remediation and pay them to either give you some of the stuff or come down and do it for some cash...or waste time and money trying to kill the mold over and over again as you will NEVER kill it completely.

Split Infinity
 

poopscoop

Joined Dec 12, 2012
140
I grew up in the southeast of the US, where humidity is a fraction of a percent away from rain for 6 months a year.

The problem is ventilation. Buy a powerful exhaust fan, wire it to an independent switch (Not the same switch you're using for the light), and run it during the shower and for 10-15 minutes afterwards. Leave the door open as well. Replace the shower door with a curtain, you'll get much more ventilation that way.

A short while ago someone on here was building a 555 circuit that automated the shutdown. The idea was that the fan would run for 10 additional minutes after the switch was turned off, thus negating the need to go back and turn the fan off later.
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
A short while ago someone on here was building a 555 circuit that automated the shutdown. The idea was that the fan would run for 10 additional minutes after the switch was turned off, thus negating the need to go back and turn the fan off later.
In that vein, you can also buy a wind up timer from Grainger.
 

maxpower097

Joined Feb 20, 2009
816
That might be true, but I suspect that website has an axe to grind.
"Bleach itself is 99% water."
But the label on my bottle of Clorox says 6% Sodium Hypochlorite.
Yet, it doesn't matter. A 1% solution works just fine.

"The ionic structure of bleach prevents chlorine from penetrating into porous materials..." while, at the same time, "Chlorine bleach accelerates the deterioration of materials and wears down the fibers of porous materials"...while not penetrating them???
I don't think so.

Not arguing that bleach kills everything, just doubting the motives of that website.
Not sure where your info's coming from but everything I see says it varies by mnf and all Sodium Hypochlorite (Chlorine Bleachs) are 3%-6%. Also recently clorox droped their normal bleach and is now selling their concentrate. Which is 1/3 stronger.

I wouldn't say bleach kills everything. For survival situations it will kill all biotrash in water with a couple drops a gallon but we've found bacteria's that grow in sulfuric acid. I'm sure we have stuff that can live thru bleach. Granted I'm sure its extremely rare.


And from my research its pretty known bleach only kills mold on hard non porous surfaces, not wood or drywall. Also they said most mold and mildew stuff you buy is just watered down bleach so read the labels.
 
Last edited:

Kermit2

Joined Feb 5, 2010
4,162
Boric acid(roach kill powder) can be used to treat porous surfaces and will kill mold and mildew. It's insanely cheap but toxic.

It's so toxic that when compared to table salt it takes just half the amount of boric acid to kill you. :)
 

Thread Starter

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
whatever you do, don't vent your moisture into your attic, carry it to the exterior of the building.
But my vent vents to the attic! What am I going to do now? I'm screwed! I guess I'll just start saving all those dessicant packets from pill bottles and freeze dried food; make a wind chime out of em and hang it in the bathroom.
 

shortbus

Joined Sep 30, 2009
10,045
That might be true, but I suspect that website has an axe to grind.
"Bleach itself is 99% water."
But the label on my bottle of Clorox says 6% Sodium Hypochlorite.
Yet, it doesn't matter. A 1% solution works just fine.

"The ionic structure of bleach prevents chlorine from penetrating into porous materials..." while, at the same time, "Chlorine bleach accelerates the deterioration of materials and wears down the fibers of porous materials"...while not penetrating them???
I don't think so.

Not arguing that bleach kills everything, just doubting the motives of that website.
Most all sites on mold removal say that TSP is the only truly effective agent.
 
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