Home UV Air Purifier

So you've read about a home UV air purifier. What does UV light disinfection mean and how can it help you?

Using UV light bulbs provide a way to kill germs, bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms.

You may have seem UV light before. They are used in tanning beds and sanitizers. You also hear them called a "black light."

Another kind of UV light is called shortwave UV light. This kind is very useful. It possess the energy to break organic molecules. As organisms go through the light, they suffer cellular damage and die.

This is great news for us but horrible news for germs, bacteria, mold, viruses, etc.

Interesting Facts

CDC (The Center for Disease Control) recommends using UV light and HEPA filters together.
The US Government now recommend that all government building should use some form of UV light filtration system.
UV light is used in operating rooms to help prevent germs from spreading.

Types of Ultra Violet Air Purifier

There are two types of home UV air purifiers.

The first type uses only UV light to clean the air.
The second type uses UV light bulbs together with a traditional filter.

We don't recommend the first kind of air purifier. It doesn't do a good all around job of filtering the air in your house.

Concerned about ridding your home of harmful organisms like mold, germs, bacteria? An air purifier with a UV light would be a good idea.

There are many brands of air cleaners that have both a HEPA filter and a UV light. These can be a highly effective combo to use in you house.

Does it Really Work?

It sounds great, right. You will be able to kill all the germs and bacteria in your house by using a UV light.

The theory sounds great, but does it really work.

Home UV air purifier have a small problem. They move the air too fast to kill all the germs.

Shortwave UV light can kill germs, bacteria, and other things. The problem's that it takes time to do this. The germs have to stay in the UV light for a short amount of time.

This can be a few seconds or much longer. If the air purifier fan pushes the air out before the organisms spend enough time under the UV light bulb, then they don't die.

Now, if you have a HEPA filter then it can trap or at least slow down these organisms. This gives the UV light more time to work.

Do you use a home UV air purifier? Make sure the fan is on low. This will help it be more effective.

Problems

The UV light can kill germs in the air that passes through the air purifier. Does all the air in the room go through the machine?

If it does it will really help.

If it doesn't it can't help very much.

So a UV light in a machine with a weak fan isn't going to do much good.

What's our biggest complaint about UV air purifiers?

They can produce ozone. Ozone can be pretty bad for you in large amounts. We especially don't like ozone producing air purifiers if you have asthma.

Thinking about buying a home UV air purifier? Check how much ozone the machine makes. It should be less than 50 parts per billion.