seeking info on germ killing capability

[dash]

far as i know the only people that are claiming to kill airborne germs are the UV light crowd. all the air cleaning systems you mention are designed to filter air. so they capture particals in the air and store these particals until cleaned. i really don't see any manufacturer or competent dealer claiming to kill substances in the air. WAY TOO MUCH LIABILITY!! i wouldn't even put my neck out there on that one!! especially here in NC with all the moisture issues.

Carrier claims ,capture and kill,safer when you change the filter.

[catmanacman]

the trane website says a new study shows that the clean effects kills the flu virus

[beachtech]

rotflmao post the link to that site!!!

[beachtech]

Look at my FAQ on my web site when you get time. There are some good facts there that might answer future concerns on what technologies you want to choose.

this guy knows his stuff

[Irascible]

Viruses will be knocked out just flying by the UVC light.

If someone else was saying it I would not have paid any attention. However, I'm having a hard time believing that you believe that. Viruses can theoretically fly about by themselves. But they mostly fly around on host particles. One-fifth to (optimistically speaking) one-half second of exposure just isn't going to cut it. Sterilize a stationary coil? Sure. But sterilize a moving air stream of viruses? That’s a hard pill to swallow.

I won't debate you Doc. I'm just asking for what convinced you. I'm as tired of those kinds of debates as anyone.

[genesis]

Iracible you are dead on. A virus has to have a host. The only way to get a viable virus airborne is to disperse it in an aerosol form. That is what we call weaponized. The DoD recently did this to Staph and a few other things we can't talk about and ran it through our equipment. A virus just doesn't have much of a life span in the open air. It doesn't take much UVGI to deactivate it because it is so small compared to a mold spore.

[beachtech]

Iracible you are dead on. A virus has to have a host. The only way to get a viable virus airborne is to disperse it in an aerosol form. That is what we call weaponized. The DoD recently did this to Staph and a few other things we can't talk about and ran it through our equipment. A virus just doesn't have much of a life span in the open air. It doesn't take much UVGI to deactivate it because it is so small compared to a mold spore.

man that sound like a fun test. i wish i could be a part of that.

[docholiday]

Im not debating it either. If a virus is attached to a host, it's not likely flying by. but when you sneeze or cough or whatever and in the remote chance it makes it through your HVAC system, the UVC will scramble it almost instantly. (May not kill it but will steilize it rendering it useless) Is any HVAC device going to replace your current health care plan? Absolutely not, but for some folks out there, they expect it to.

Small things like viruses, cat dander, and common household dust (generally human dander) do not fall to the floor immediately, the smaller and lighter it is, the more likely it will remain suspended and eventually we hope that it will get filtered or sterilized on the way by a filter or UVC light.

[Irascible]

A virus has to have a host. The only way to get a viable virus airborne is to disperse it in an aerosol form. That is what we call weaponized. A virus just doesn't have much of a life span in the open air. It doesn't take much UVGI to deactivate it because it is so small compared to a mold spore.

My understanding is that the primary method of cold transmission is by viruses held host in droplets that are sneezed or coughed up. Is that considered aerosolized and/or the same as weaponized? I imagine not since the host droplets are probably too heavy to remain airborne for any great length of time.

Are weaponized viruses still attached to something? I imagine they have to be attached to something that floats easily.

If I recall one of yours and breathe easy's threads, a truly free floating virus is theoretically possible but not measurable. Therefore any claim of killing an airborne virus would have to mean that it got to the virus through the host, which is most unlikely given the split second exposure it gets as it flies by. I imagine that a free standing virus is so fragile anyway that almost anything would screw it up – a spare oxygen atom, the sun, a little too much friction as it bumps up against something.

I’m just thinking out loud looking for your take.

[Frostie]

I guess I am old school in thinking that filters are there to keep the furnace - blower/motor/heat exchangers and evaporator clean. If you want to get rid of mold/viruses/bacteria in your house then you have to do it the old fashioned way...clean your house. The whole filtering industry, while profitable, makes us all look like snake oil salesmen and it is leading to more abuse of the customer base we rely on for a living.

The problems people have with their health will not be resolved by putting a UV light in their ducting, there will be resolution when the root of the problem is identified and addressed(dampness-mold/foraldehyde-carpets). It should be said that humans and bacteria/virus have co-existed forever and although their culture can overcome our immune system this in itself is not a bad thing. Developing immunity to viruses and bacteria mean being exposed to them and the more sterile we make our enviroments the more likely we will succomb to their effects when we leave our homes.

[genesis]

Yes basically the same thing I was told by a micro biologist that a simple sneeze could suspend bacteria in vapor droplets for up to 3 hours in an enclosed room with out any ventilation in the right conditions. This is where the concept for the open air UVGI lighting came from for the control of Tuberculosis and Legionnaires Disease. But a weaponized bug could also mean that is has a hardened shell around it to help it sustain a longer life span in the open till it finds a host.

[beachtech]

I guess I am old school in thinking that filters are there to keep the furnace - blower/motor/heat exchangers and evaporator clean. If you want to get rid of mold/viruses/bacteria in your house then you have to do it the old fashioned way...clean your house. The whole filtering industry, while profitable, makes us all look like snake oil salesmen and it is leading to more abuse of the customer base we rely on for a living.

The problems people have with their health will not be resolved by putting a UV light in their ducting, there will be resolution when the root of the problem is identified and addressed(dampness-mold/foraldehyde-carpets). It should be said that humans and bacteria/virus have co-existed forever and although their culture can overcome our immune system this in itself is not a bad thing. Developing immunity to viruses and bacteria mean being exposed to them and the more sterile we make our enviroments the more likely we will succomb to their effects when we leave our homes.

right, but as buildings are being built tighter and tighter, germs have become a big problem. they are building these air tight homes around here, every board that goes down is sealed and every joint is covered in silicone! we have houses pulling negative pressures everywhere around here (when the indoor fan comes) so if a home is in this condition your filter is not stoping these small airborne bacteria and then it ends up in a nice cool damp place to grow and make other bacteria friends with

i did a service on a stem cell research lab a couple years ago. and burnt my eyes really badly when i opened the filter access only to see a rack of 20 UVG lights on. in ther few seconds it took for me to open the door, see the light and immediatly close the door i was out of work for 4 days. and there was no warning label on the equipment at that time!! now they are under contract maintenance with us and we have to change the filters every 4 weeks because the lights will eat them in 6 weeks time!

at the local university, they have a science building that has no return air. it pulls in 100% outside air, conditions it and supplies the building. wonder what that costs?!

[Frostie]

at the local university, they have a science building that has no return air. it pulls in 100% outside air, conditions it and supplies the building. wonder what that costs?!

What are the costs of sealing our buildings up air tight? Gimme the fresh air anyday.

[beachtech]

What are the costs of sealing our buildings up air tight? Gimme the fresh air anyday.

in eastern NC its a humidity challenge. there is no escaping it here. and the costs, if you have been to the beach in eastern NC you will quickly realize that there is no ceiling to cost of building a new home! property isn't a factor either. we have a customer that bought a 3mil house and mowed it over to build his idea of a beach house

[Frostie]

in eastern NC its a humidity challenge. there is no escaping it here. and the costs, if you have been to the beach in eastern NC you will quickly realize that there is no ceiling to cost of building a new home! property isn't a factor either. we have a customer that bought a 3mil house and mowed it over to build his idea of a beach house

It was more of a rhetorical question. The high cost I speak of is to our health and the health of our children.

[genesis]