With everything going on in the world today, you may have heard of people trying to improve the indoor air quality of their homes or businesses.  Many people are buying HEPA filters and others are looking at UV Lights, but what is the difference?

What are HEPA Filters?

A HEPA filter is a “high-efficiency particulate air” (filter) made up of strands of randomly aligned synthetic fibers or glass.  They are designed to trap particles that can come from pollen, pet allergens, viruses, mold and bacteria.  In order for a filter to be designated as a HEPA filter it must meet international standards (ISO) to remove 99.95% of particles.  In the US the standard is removal of 99.97% of particles.

The standard for HEPA filters is based on the (MPPS) most penetrating particle size of 0.3 microns.  That means the filter must remove 99.97% of particles that pass through it which are equal to or greater than 0.3 microns in size.  It should be noted that HEPA filters are able to diffuse particles which are smaller in size than 0.3 microns.

One important thing to remember about HEPA filters is that since particles like viruses and bacteria are only trapped by the filter, it is recommended that proper PPE be used when replacing the filters in your air system.

What is a UV Light?

UV lights are used for air sterilization - they are designed to sterilize and destroy biological and chemical contaminants, which circulate throughout the home.  These can include allergens, viruses, spores, pollens, bacteria, mold, chemicals, VOCs, fumes and odors.

UV lights can be installed into the return or supply plenum of your HVAC system.  The UVC (254nm) and UVV (185nm) light produced by Sanuvox UV systems are the same two wavelengths produced by the Sun. The UVC wavelength attacks the micro-organisms on a molecular level deactivating and destroying the contaminants, while the UVV wavelength degrades chemicals and odors.

Where HEPA filters help to trap particles, UV lights will actively kill particles that pass through them.

Sanuvox UV lights have a proprietary high intensity 'J' lamp which has all the advantages of the intensity of two UV lamps with the replacement cost of only one.

By using a turbulator to spin the air as it enters the reflector chamber, the Sanuvox process guarantees that the air receives the maximum UV dosage possible. Dwell (contact) time between the air and the UV light is also increased, resulting in higher destruction rates. The aluminum reflector chamber contains and reflects the UV energy delivering maximum efficiency.

Please visit the Sanuvox website to read more about this exciting product and the advantages it can bring to your indoor air quality!