Air Purifier takes on flu, VOC gases, and mold.

Tom-

Q: Curious….Does this do anything for mold? Is it a powered unit? Does it have a replaceable filter and if so, what is the cost?

D.

Hello D,

Thank you for your inquiry. Our duct mounted air purifiers have been quite the hot topic with the recent flu concerns.

This unit/ manufacturer makes no claims specifically related to killing mold. Especially the kind growing in corners, attics, and behind boxes in storage rooms. There are machines used that make extremely high levels of Ozone to kill mold, but this one makes almost no Ozone, just natural oxidizers!

Because it neutralizes all carbon composed airborne life-forms (quote me loosely there) it stands to reason that mold spores that travel in the air and can be inhaled or land in places and grow would be eliminated. These have also been used to keep mold from growing inside of the ducts themselves. We use UV lights to actually kill mold on humidifier panels and in evaporator coils, but they only kill what they come in direct contact with.

Spores and viruses also have no wings, they ride around on ultra fine dust particles. This device causes these fine particles to clump together where they can be either filtered or just fall to the floor. My favorite feature of these machines is when we install them while one of Air Quality monitors is running within 24 hours all of the Volatile Organic Compounds nearly disappear.

In case you are not aware, VOC’s are emitted by nearly every manufactured product we buy these days, from furniture and flooring to hygiene products and clothing. High concentrations make people really ill and frustrated because all of the prescriptions they get don’t help. Try to find a doctor that recommends testing the home first. No profit in fixing the problem, lots of money in treating the symptoms though!

These units flood the air with natural oxidizers that come in contact with everything. Much of the effectiveness is seen in structures that do not leak profusely, as the new air needs to be cleaned constantly. A tight structure where the same air is quickly saturated is cleaner. There is absolutely no question that this device eliminates all odors, including those associated with mildew/ mold. If I were a realtor I would own a bunch of these because they get rid of pet smells, smoke smells, etc.

We typically add an 110V outlet within 10 feet of the device to power the small UV light bulb. This draws very little juice. The bulb assembly, which includes the honeycomb of natural elements, gets replaced every 18 to 24 months for around $200.

The first one we installed was to eliminate cooking odors for a family that loved Dixie Chili but did not like smelling it for four days afterwards. Kathy called me the morning after chili and was delighted to have no odors. No surprise. I was surprised when she called a few months later to tell me that twice one of her children had come home from school with a cold/ flu and nobody else caught it. She wondered if it was related to the purifier. Of course it was, but she was so excited about the odors that she forgot about the other benefits.

The current “pandemic” may be being downgraded, but the next one is right behind it. Bird Flu, Swine Flu, plastic and duct tape emergency preparedness kits for bio terrorism? I am not pushing snake oil here, but the everyday benefits of an air purifier are why everybody needs one, not because of some irrational fear.

We are just here to help!

Tom