air health™ uv home air sanitizer

Indoor Air: Elevated Concentration of Biological Contaminants
According to the World Health Organization, biological contaminants in indoor air are responsible for over 60% of allergies. Allergy and Asthma sufferers are continually exposed to attacks by mold, bacteria, dust, and spores. Even worse, inhaling viruses and airborne bacteria can cause sicknesses ranging from allergies to tuberculosis, and are in fact, the cause of death to approximately 8.5 million people a year.

An Environmental Protection Agency report states that indoor air can contain up to 70 times more contamination than outdoor air. While indoor air may appear clean, air in a particular room may include hundreds of thousands of contagious bacteria, viruses, fungal spores, and other contaminants.

Common Filter Systems Don't Solve the Problem
Common HVAC filters are designed to trap airborne particulates such as hair and dust. Filters are not designed to trap microscopic organisms. Microorganisms are too small to be trapped in most filter systems. Even high end filters such as High-efficiency particulate absorber or electrostatic are only nominally effective in trapping some airborne contaminants. In some cases, the filter can actually become a breeding ground for germs.

Ultraviolet Light
The sun controls bacteria outdoors by emitting ultraviolet rays. These UV rays are a segment of the sun's light spectrum. UV-C light inhibits reproduction and the growth of many germs including: viruses, fungi, bacteria and mold. The germs are sterilized or killed, making it impossible for them to reproduce. To be effective, UV rays must directly strike the contaminants, and sustain exposure for a particular length of time. This process occurs naturally outdoors in the presence of sunlight. However, this process does not occur indoors. This is why indoor air is significantly more contaminated.

TO REDUCE INDOOR AIRBORNE BACTERIA AND CONTAMINATION, SEVERAL HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORITIES ADVISE USE OF AN ULTRAVIOLET AIR PURIFICATION SYSTEM. ULTRAVIOLET TECHNOLOGY IN COMBINATION WITH ANY FILTER IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEANS OF REDUCING AIRBORNE BACTERIA AND THEIR ASSOCIATED HEALTH RISKS.

air health
air health brings ultraviolet technology into the home, utilizing any warm air or forced air HVAC system. air health mounts in the main supply or return ductwork, constantly emitting powerful UV rays. The home's air is recirculated over 50 times a day during normal operation of the heating or air conditioning system. Continued exposure to air health reduces airborne contamination, improving the indoor air quality of the entire home.

Installation Location
The best location for air health is over the A/C coil. This will treat the indoor air while simultaneously keeping the coil clean. The moisture on the coil and in the drain pan is a prime breeding ground for bacteria, spores, viruses and other contaminants. If there is no A/C system or the location is not accessible, the optional location is in the return air duct, preferably downstream of the filter. For higher square footage applications, installing two air health units, one over the A/C coil in the supply and one in the return, is ideal for its' cumulative effect.

Number of Bulbs
Practical factors are:
1) The square footage of the heated/conditioned space
2) The size of the duct

air health Effectiveness
Through laboratory testing *, it was found that a single air health unit reduced the population of the test bacteria up to 90% with only a single exposure to the UV light. Other bacteria and molds will not always have these results with a single pass. Practical application of air health in HVAC systems will expose the air in the building to many passes by the light. This allows for effective reduction of bacteria and mold with high UV energy requirements for sterilization.

Contaminant Kill Rate
The energy required to kill microorganisms is a product of UV light's intensity and exposure time. This energy is measured in micro-watt seconds per square centimeter.

WARNING:
air health BULBS MUST ONLY BE OPERATED INSIDE
METAL DUCTWORK WHERE LIGHT CAN BE ENCLOSED.
NEVER EXPOSE EYES OR SKIN TO UV- C LIGHT.

UV Energy Required for 90% Kill Rate

* Testing done by Kane Environmental Assays. The test bacterium was Serratia Marcescens ATCC 14756. The test ductwork size was 18” x 18” galvanized ductwork with airflows of 500 and 1000 CFM and the reduction efficiencies of 90% and 66% respectfully.

Note: air health™ is designed for in-duct mounting only.