Did you know that outdoor and indoor air pollution causes seven million deaths every year? While we can’t instantly improve the air outside, we can use air sanitization systems to improve indoor air quality.
An Air Scrubber Plus and UV lights for HVAC systems can surely make the environment in your house healthier and safer. However, there are certain differences between both things, which is what we’ll discuss below. Read on!
What is an Air Scrubber Plus?
An Air Scrubber Plus fits into residential and commercial buildings’ ductwork, just like any other air purification device. However, it brings things up a notch with its ActivePure technology.
Must read: The Best Commercial and Home Air Scrubber
When air passes through the duct, the Air Scrubber Plus’s highly reactive metals convert hydrogen and oxygen into negatively charged hydroxyls and superoxides. These particles act as antimicrobials after they travel into the air inside your house. They’re capable of actively removing dust and pathogens from the nooks and crannies of the air and surfaces inside your house.
How? Since most pollutants are positively charged, these negatively charged antimicrobials attract them and eventually destroy them. Hence, the Air Scrubber Plus effectively removes 99% of airborne contaminants, increasing your house/office’s indoor air quality.
Moreover, it’s also available in ozone producing models. This type produces tiny amounts of ozone that remove odors such as those from a cigarette or any mess that your pet made.
Even though the amount of ozone is well within the range the US EPA approves, you can opt for ozone free models if you’re unsure.
You may also like: How Does an Ozone Machine Work
In sum, the Air Scrubber Plus helps remove:
- Dust
- Viruses
- Bacteria
- Mold
- Allergens
- Odors
This cleaning technology also uses UV light, which we’ll discuss below.
What is UV Light?
Ultraviolet light is a form of invisible light or radiation that can eliminate the majority of pathogens in the air. It does this by interfering with the DNA sequence of most viruses and bacteria. Hence, they are unable to reproduce, which makes them harmless.
UV lights are placed either at the site where the central air conditioning and heating system’s coil is or in the ductwork. The coil UV light stays on 24/7, sanitizing the coil, over which air passes. The second type is installed in the ductwork, so as air passes over the lights, it’s cleaned.
Either method works well and can help destroy most microbes in the air. Several studies also confirm this. However, a UV light’s efficacy depends on its intensity and how long the air or coil is exposed to the light. So it’s essential to make sure you’re installing and using it correctly.
Read also: Best UV Air Purifier
The Difference Between an Air Scrubber and a UV Light
While both air sanitizing systems help clean air, they’re not the same. Here are the key differences between them that can help you decide which one will work for you:
- Effectiveness – An air scrubber and a UV light both target different things. A UV light can only eliminate most viruses, bacteria, and mold. In contrast, an air scrubber removes allergens and dust particles along with microbes. Hence, it’s a more powerful and effective form of air cleaning technology.
- Active vs Passive – A UV light prevents viruses and bacterias from entering the air inside by destroying them. Air Scrubber Plus also uses this technology. But along with this, it works offensively or actively by sending out negatively charged ions to hunt and remove any pollutants such as allergens. A UV light can’t do that on its own.
- Certified Space Technology – Even though UV lights have been proven to improve the air quality, they don’t have the Certified Space Technology approval that the Air Scrubber Plus does. It was originally developed in collaboration with NASA and is now approved by the Space Foundation.
- Cost – Germicidal UV lights are more affordable than air scrubber. Plus, you’ll have to pay much higher installation and maintenance costs with an air scrubber than a UV light in your HVAC.
Related article: How Long Should an Air Scrubber Run?
Conclusion
Both, the Air Scrubber Plus and UV lights, can clean the indoor air and help relieve respiratory issues. What works well for you depends on the air quality inside and outside your house and your budget.
