Are ultraviolet air purifiers the right choice for you and your family? The promise of germ free air that saves you from unwanted illness seems too good to pass up. But is a UV air cleaner a good investment in your health? Before you buy, why not take the time now to see if these five issues are successfully addressed by your air purifier?
Five Issues Affecting Performance and Your Satisfaction
- Is the UV light strong enough?
- Are germs exposed long enough?
- Do you sacrifice either particle removal or sterilization in HEPA filter UV air purifiers?
- Is UV sterilization necessary or just an extra expense?
- Can UV light damage the HEPA filter, causing premature failure?
If you prefer including UV sterilization with air purification and want a system that balances these concerns then I’ve included a few models you might like at the end of this article.
Two Keys to UV Effectiveness – Dosage and Exposure
Ultraviolet light is proven to sterilize microorganisms like bacteria, mold and viruses. Of course, this is under controlled conditions. First, a contaminated surface is directly exposed to UV light with enough intensity – the dosage. Second, the light irradiates the surface for a long enough time – the exposure.
Is it possible to get the same results inside an air purifier? With microorganisms speeding through it at a rather high rate, you have to wonder whether they are exposed to UV light long enough to be sterilized.
Obviously more sterilization will occur at lower fan speeds but that reduces the volume of air being treated. Ideally, you want an air cleaner with sufficiently strong UV light (high dosage) to achieve sterilization at the top air flow rate.
Combining HEPA Filters And UV Sterilization
If you are trying to remove particulates while sterilizing germs then HEPA filter UV air purifiers are the way to go. However, getting enough dosage and exposure raises it’s head again. Not all HEPA air purifiers with UV light supply the dosage necessary to sterilize microorganisms.
Reducing fan speed in these air purifiers may increase sterilization but lowers the air cleaning capacity of the machine. The difficulty of balancing high performance particle filtration and sterilization is why some top quality manufacturers do not offer an ultraviolet option.
In these high performing units separate sterilization is not considered necessary since the HEPA filter can trap particles down to 0.01 micron, the size of viruses. If microorganisms are being filtered out of the air why add sterilization?
Some have concerns that HEPA filters are a breeding ground for trapped microorganisms, but this hasn’t proven a problem in over sixty years of commercial and industrial use. In any case, you’ll find top quality air purifier manufacturers treat their HEPA filters with antimicrobial agents.
Certain manufacturers that offer UV as an option bathe the HEPA filter with UV light. This kills microorganisms trapped by the filter and thus alleviates consumer concerns about breeding germs in the filter.
However, there is concern about what UV light will do to the HEPA filter. HEPA material can become brittle and break up over time when exposed to UV light. This can shorten the life of the HEPA filter and require more regular filter changes.
In short, when considering HEPA filter ultraviolet air purifiers you want a high enough dosage to deliver sterilizing/killing power at the reduced exposure time of the top air flow rate. You also want the filter to be either protected from damage by the UV light by concealing it away from the light or by being constructed of materials relatively immune to UV damage.
A Few Good Ultraviolet Air Purifiers
Here are a few examples of air cleaners I’m confident will work for you wherever microorganism control is needed:
- Alen A375UV Ultra HEPA
- Allerair (almost all models are available with UV option)
- NQ Clarifier
- Airfree Air Sterilizers
- Germ Guardian Hygia 6.0
- Germ Guardian UV-C Air Sanitizer
- Secure Air 1200 Tabletop UV Air Sanitizer
Some of these are UV sterilizers only with no other filtration and some are HEPA air purifiers with UV added. Two excellent resources where you can learn more about these UV air purifiers are AllergyBuyersClub.com and achoo!Allergy.com.
Would you like to know more about air purifiers? Allow me to invite you to my site for instant access to even more free air purifier information.
From J Alan Rodgers, the Air Purifier Expert at http://www.Home-Air-Purifier-Guide.com.