Compact portable owner-serviced air duct sanitizing system

A user-friendly, portable air duct conditioning apparatus, for new construction and retrofitting to existing air conditioning and heating systems having, an air handler, a fan, a thermostat, and a main plenum with several connected air ducts, which can be easily installed and routinely serviced by a homeowner or other non-professional, said apparatus comprising:

• a control unit housing having a hollow interior, a cover configured for safeguarding said hollow interior and ready user access to said hollow interior, and a bottom surface with an opening therethrough;
• a reservoir of liquid air conditioning agent having a closed bottom and an open top with a configuration adapted for temporary support of said reservoir by said bottom surface opening of said housing in a position that allows for said open top to be placed securely within said hollow interior during use and also allows for said open top to be easily and promptly removable from said bottom surface opening of said housing when replacement of said liquid air conditioning agent is required;
• a 24-volt direct current electric pump securely fixed within said hollow interior of said housing, said pump having a discharge opening, being adapted for propelling said liquid air conditioning agent at a minimum pressure of approximately 60 psi through said discharge opening, and having a fluid bypass loop;
• a fluid pick-up hose connected between said reservoir and said pump, said fluid pick-up hose having a distal end positioned in close proximity to said bottom surface of said reservoir so that substantially all of said liquid air conditioning agent in said reservoir can be drawn therefrom by said pump;
• a 24-volt alternating current fully automated programmable timer with power loss backup, said timer being securely fixed within said hollow interior of said housing;
• at least one misting nozzle in communication with the main plenum and at least one misting nozzle in fluid communication with each air duct connected to the main plenum, each said nozzle being adapted to create a mist having a droplet size of less than approximately 250 μ;
• a quantity of fluid carrying tubing configured to propel fluids at a maximum pressure of approximately 200 psi and connection between said pump and each said nozzle;
• electrical connection means connected between said programmable timer and the air handler of the associated air conditioning system, said electrical connection means being adapted for providing 24-volt power to said timer and said pump, and comprising a full bridge rectifier adapted to convert 24-volt alternating current into 24-volt direct current, said rectifier securely fixed within said housing;
• a 24-volt alternating current fan bypass relay also connected by said electrical connection means to the air handler, said fan bypass relay being configured for bypassing the air conditioning system thermostat and activating the air conditioning system fan if it is not already functioning when operation of said pump begins, said fan bypass relay also being securely fixed within said hollow interior of said housing;
• a 24-volt alternating current recycle timer securely fixed within said hollow interior of said housing;
• attachment means adapted to secure said pump, said programmable timer, said recycle timer, said rectifier, and said fan bypass relay within said housing;
• and
• a quantity of electrical wiring, said wiring being adapted for connection of said recycle timer to said programmable timer, said recycle timer to said fan relay, said recycle timer to said rectifier, said rectifier to said pump, and said programmable timer to said fan relay whereby when said housing is mounted in a remote position from the air ducts and the main plenum that is easily accessed for maintenance and servicing purposes, said programmable timer will periodically activate said pump to draw metered quantities of said liquid air conditioning agent from said fluid reservoir and propel said liquid air conditioning agent through said fluid carrying tubing to each said misting nozzle wherein a fine mist of droplets is created from said liquid air conditioning agent that becomes evenly dispersed through the air ducts and the main plenum of the air conditioning system by its fan.