A/C UV Lighting System?

Question:We are currently renovating our house, and the previous owner had many cats that urinated all over the house. There were also several cats that died in the house once the previous owner was put into a nursing home. I'm severely allergic to cats and the smell is grotesque. We were told to make sure we do a thorough A/C duct cleaning to eliminate the smell. However, in talking to many A/C companies, many have suggested the UV Lighting system to remove the smell. Does anyone know more about these systems, and if they really work? Also, would it eliminate the smell already in the ducts so that a formal duct cleaning would not be warranted?

Answers:
Yes these do work very well. However there is no guaranty that the UV light will be able to remove the smells, allergens, and most bacteria completely. Once cat urine soaks through the carpet and into the wood below the stink will be a nightmare to remove. Perhaps spraying the floors with a bleach and water mix before laying your new carpeting will kill any smell in the sub floor below. I would still recommend getting your ducts cleaned since a UV light is not a filter. Also I'd go one step further and add the best filtering system you can to the furnace. Check the Carrier website, they make a very good electronic filter that will catch 99.9% of impurities. I hope this help and good luck with your renovation.