Air cleaning devices come in a variety of shapes and sizes and make claims about what they do, not much about what they don’t do. Air cleaning products are not well regulated and as a result, products like the Ionic Breeze which had a great run, but was little more than a dust collector and dumped ozone into the home (which is detrimental to your health), has left the buying public a little skeptical of products stating that they purify or clean the air. Air cleaners that are proven and tested are out there but determining what will work for your needs is the big issue. Most “portable” air cleaners work effectively in a relatively small area --- 200 – 700 square feet. Any portable unit claiming it will handle up to 2000 – 3000 square feet is more hype than functional. Most good units have HEPA filters (high efficiency particulate air). Those available for installation in the heating/air conditioning duct systems are pricey and need to be monitored as the filter can cause pressure drops and restrict the air flow that can cause the unit to run much longer to heat and/or cool the home and may actually can lead to motor failure. UV (ultra violet) has been used in hospitals and physician offices to keep their instruments sterile. UV destroys the microorganism, breaks down the molecule rendering it ineffective. In government buildings being constructed today, commercial UV is standard in HVAC systems to minimize the threat of someone introducing biological contaminants or viruses into the duct system as the UV will destroy the virus.
In the home it makes sense to add UV as it will eliminate the biological contaminants, volatile organic compounds (VOC), odor problems as well as killing dust mites which travel through the duct system. It additionally can help control allergies and reduce asthma triggers inside the home. In simple terms it will help create a healthy environment inside the home.
But with UV, as there is with any product that has several varieties to choose from, one has to be smart about which product goes into the home and choosing based on price is usually not the best option. Begin by seeing what device has been tested, which device has both UVV as well as UVC wave lengths to address all contaminants within the home are important considerations. There are many “stick” UV systems available and having read most of the literature, know they tout the units as being highly effective but with 600cfm of air moving across the bulb, the actual affect is nominal.
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