We talk a lot about air treatment technology, but how does it work?
We understand that UVC light and Bipolar Ionisation can be difficult concepts to grasp. This technology has been around for over one hundred years, but only recently has it exploded into the mainstream as the need for disinfectant in ventilation systems has risen. But how does Biopolar Ionisation work?
We have created this illustration to help you visualise where these products are installed in your HVAC system.
The technology of Ultraviolet
As the air comes into your HVAC system, it goes through several treatments before it enters the building. If you add Total Coil Disinfection (TCD) this uses powerful ultraviolet light to inactivate bacteria and virus.
TCD focuses on the disinfection of surface within the Air Handling Unit, specifically the surface of the cooling coil, which can be a breeding ground for virus and bacteria. The build-up on cooling coils is known as Biofilm. This biofilm reduces the ability of the coil to cool the air. Removing the biofilm using ultraviolet light reduces energy consumption and increases the performance of the coil closer to its original design specification.
Ultraviolet light can be used for the treatment of air. In this scenario, larger banks of ultraviolet lights in the air flow would be used. Dwell time is the length of time that air spends within the high intensity ultraviolet light. This dwell time is needed to achieve a 99.9% kill rate. Simply passing air over a lamp may not be sufficient to achieve 99.9% kill rates.
This ‘cleaning’ is actually the light inactivating the bacteria, virus, and mould particles.
The technology of BarX ioniser
The BarX sends positive and negative ions out into the air to tackle the harmful particles on surfaces and particles that exist around you. The ions from the BARX are attracted to potentially nasty particles and are able to neutralise these so they can’t reproduce, reducing the amount of virus and bacteria in the air running through your building.
Is it safe?
It is true that UV light can be harmful if it directly contacts your skin or eyes, however, Total Coil Disinfection lives in your HVAC system so you will never have direct contact with it. It’s this reason we would never advocate the use of UVC cleaning wands, as both TCD and BarX do this in a safe and contact free way.
We know that you want to protect the health and well-being of your building’s occupants. There are so many various products on the market at the moment, some effective and some poor-quality imported items. At Gibbons we pride ourselves on suppling a best in breed product. We would be pleased to provide any guidance you need on these technologies to ensure you purchase the correct solution for your specific application.
If you want to know more contact Colin Hardman, colin@gibbonsgroup.co.uk or call on 07940 544 206.
