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Do You Need UV Air Purifier Technology?
How does it work? Many Microorganisms that pass near the UV light are killed. This technology could be one component of an air purifier, a stand alone device, or fitted into the ductwork of a standard HVAC furnace system.
Ultraviolet light has a shorter wavelength than violet light
It is good practice to pre filter the air that passes by a UV light. If too much particulate passes by the UV light, microorganisms can hide in the shadows. To minimize shadowing, purifiers make this the last stage in the cleaning process or they may take other precautions. The UV lights do degrade or become less effective over time. Some of the best last 25,000 hours (about 3 years) or more before degrading. Others of lesser quality may only last 5000-10000 hours before degrading. The bulb may or may not burn out during its useful life, so keeping track of the replace date per manufactures recommendation is advised. In order to understand the ability of a given UV light to kill or neutralize a given microorganism a series of calculations is needed. The intensity of the lamp, the distance of the microorganism from the lamp, and the length of the exposure all are key factors. Each manufacture will make claims based on their knowledge, testing, and experience with this technology. It is complicated. The two references below will shed more light on the calculations if you desire more detail. Good luck :-) Suffice it to say that UV adds a level of protection, but is not necessarily the end all cure all.
Need a presentation about
UV and UV dosage rates?
(opens a new window) UV is an alternative to extra filtering if you are seeking to kill microorganisms in your air. Keep in mind this is generally one part of cleaning the air and alone may not be sufficient. For example, UV alone will not filter particles from the air. This technology does have an ongoing maintenance cost. Check the costs of replacement UV bulbs before you purchase this type of air purifier. In general the replacement cost of this
technology is reasonable and not a deterring factor. Return to STEP1 Technology from UV Air Purifier Technology
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which has the shortest wavelength in the visible spectrum. UV is invisible to the human eye. The UV spectrum has been divided into three categories: UVA at 380–315 nm, UVB at 315–280 nm, and UVC at <280 nm which. The UVC range kills microorganisms.
