Air Purifier GO!

See larger image Sunpentown Dehumidifier with UV Light (Electronics) List Price: $249.00 USD

• How do they Kill Germs and Mold Spores?

• Just What is UV Radiation and is it Safe?

• What in the Machine Creates the UV Light?

• What Machines Deliver the Best Air Treatment?

Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation or (UVGI) as it is also commonly referred to, is the term that is used to describe what UV air purifiers do. They basically kill germs as well as mold and fungus spores by zapping them with a brief shot of ultraviolet radiation.

What About Radioactive Air!!??

So then do these air purifiers contain some type of hazardous radioactive material or can the in some way send out radioactive air or gas if they malfunction? The simple answer to both those common questions is no. Absolutely not!

Don't Let the Word “Radiation” Scare You

Don't make the mistake of confusing light radiation, which UV rays are and nuclear radiation, such as the type that's produced by plutonium. You see radiation is just the word that is used to describe anything that moves out and away from something.

How a UV Air Purifier Makes the UV Rays


The light coming from the light bulbs in your home is also in fact radiation, just like the light that's used in these types of air purifiers. You see, unlike a standard light bulb, a mercury vapor lamp is used in these air cleaners to generate UV radiation. It's just a light bulb that's filled with mercury vapor.

Treated Air Carries No Residual Effects

Now once the air in a purifier is zapped in its closed chamber by the mercury vapor lamp, it's done. That is that it leaves the unit just as it came in, other then the fact that it has been sterilized. It in no way carries any residual effects from the UV treatment any more than you can carry residual light when you click off your light switch.

Does the UV Treatment Help to Filter Air?

Understand though that UV air purifiers in no way filter air any better than an air purifier that does not include the UV feature. That is that the UV treatment in no way assists the machine in trapping air pollution particles. So then your next question may be “which machine has the better UV treatment feature”?

Which Machines Do the Best Job of UV Treatment?


The answer is that unlike things like filters that can come in any number of configurations and can be made from any number of materials, UV radiation and the mercury vapor lamps that create it are all alike. It would be like asking which drop of water between three of them is wetter. It's just light.

More Facts You Should Know About Mercury Vapor Bulbs

This type of light bulb is relatively inexpensive, so it really makes no sense for a manufacturer to use anything but a good quality bulb in their UV air purifiers. One thing worth noting though, is that while a mercury vapor lamp can last for decades, they do slowly degrade and will lose about half their power in about five years.

Tags: UV Air Purifiers

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