|  UV Light.
Q: Why are CaluTech
products so inexpensive? Are they "cheap
air purifiers" ?
A: We are the manufacturer and we sell direct to you. It's
not being sold to a home store who then
adds on and sells it to you. The air
purifiers come straight from manufacturing
to your door. This cuts costs on our
side by up to 60% so we pass the savings
on to you. Are they cheap? Hardly. These
units are professional and operate at
optimum levels. They are heavy duty
and manufactured in Illinois by us,
not someone else. We ship worldwide.
Q: I already have a
duct mounted UV air purifier, will these
do more for me if I add it to what I have?
A: Even better! If you have one by a competitor you can
trade it in and take up to 20% off,
depending on the unit you have, no matter
how old it is, for one of our air duct
UV air purifiers! Just email us with
what you have!
Q: I saw a similar item, called an ozone generator. Is
this the same thing?
A: The CaluTech products are not ozone generating air cleaners.
Ozone is harmful to your health and
causes permanent lung damage. See our
"More Information" page to learn more about
what an ozone system really does. Also
see what others are saying about ozone
air purifiers. What are they
legal? They probably will not be much
longer, there's lots of legislation
regarding ozone air purifiers. In 2007
California banned them, others plan
to follow the State with their own legislation
to outlaw them.
Q: Do your UV lamps produce ozone?
A: Many UV lamps intentionally produce ozone in large amounts
(UV-V), which we do not recommend, nor
does the EPA or American Lung Association.
The UV lamps we use (UV-C) have special
tubing that filters out the 185nm ozone
wavelength, however all UV lamps that
are considered 'ozone free' do produce
some ozone, but the amount of ozone
produced is so minute it is not considered
an ozone producing lamp. Fax machines
& copy machines produce ozone at
minimal levels too, but buying air purifiers
that are called 'ozone air purifiers'
or 'ozone generators' intentionally
produce large amounts. Even 0.04ppm
(how ozone is measured) is now found
to be lung damaging.
Q: How does your product compare to the ionic purifier
on TV?
A: Simply put, to date there is no known scientific evidence
that ionic air purifiers actually help
people in any way, just opinions, no
proof. UV-C is proven. That's a good
marketing department they have! Even
worse, ionic air purifiers produce their
own form of ozone, not what you want
in your home, or around your kids.
Q: How long are UV lamps good for?
A: CaluTech products use UV-C germicidal lamps which operate
at a wavelength of 253.7 nanometers,
the germicidal wavelength of light which
kills germs, and can last as long as
3 years. However, no
UV lamp should be used for more than
12 months without replacing the UV lamp.
Although they still light up after 12
months they do not produce the UVC germicidal
light they did when they were new. 36W
replacements are only $22.99 each, not
$40 or $80 each like other companies
(we don't mark them up). Replacement
18W lamps are $22.49. It is a very cost
effective UV air purifier. We recommend
annual changes of the UV lamps for maximum
ultraviolet air sterilization.
Q: Why are your UV-C germicidal lamps / bulbs so inexpensive?
A: It's very common for customers to think our UV lamps
are not efficient like competitors because
they are low priced, but the fact is
they are more powerful than most UV-C
germicidal lamp products used in other
UV air purifier systems. Plain and simple,
we don't mark them up. You can find
our same style lamp used in our UV air
purifier at a competitor site for $45
each, and we even found another for
$107 each, that's just ridiculous. The
$22.99 UV lamp cost is basically our
cost, so we just pass it on to you.
Lamp cross reference: PL-L36W/TUV, PL-L18W/TUV,
GPL18, GPL36, UC36W1006, UC18W1004,
UV100E
Q: How much maintenance does the unit require?
A: CaluTech Blue air purifiers require no maintenance.
All you need to do is change the lamps
once a year for maximum efficiency.
Once your unit is installed, which takes
an average 10 minutes, you simply plug
it in.
Q: Is this something the average homeowner can install
themselves?
A: Yes. Installation is simple, but if you prefer you can
contact your local heating and air conditioning
company for installation or a handyman.
The unit can be installed in as little
as 10 minutes. If you do not wish to
install a furnace duct mounted germicidal
air purifier you should have a qualified
contractor install it for you. Installation
if very simple and only requires a drill
with a 2" holesaw (like the round door
knob installation drill bit) and a phillips
screwdriver, that's it!
Q: What kind of warranty does CaluTech offer?
A:
The CaluTech Blue, Mini-Blue, DSL UV
and Blueray UV air purifiers carry a
warranty of 10 years. The Airtronics
UV purifier carries a 2 year warranty.
Q: I've seen other units available that claim to be high
powered air purification utilizing UV.
How does CaluTech's unit compare?
A: There is no comparison. Read why
you should choose CaluTech. The Calutech
Blue™ air purifiers produce high output
UV germicidal air sterilization and
have been tested to safely sanitize
between 98 and 99.9 percent of the indoor
air. The Blueray is a super high output
ultraviolet air duct system! No other
unit we're aware of on the market meets
the power of the Blueray. The effect
of irradiation is based on microwatts
and time of exposure. The lethal exposure
period of an organism is determined
by its susceptibility. The wavelength
of radiation, the density of the radiation
flux (watts per unit area) and time
exposure. Did we lose you? These UV
lamps are regulated at 253.7 nm energy.
When you see 'nm' that is short for
nanometers, how the UV light is measured.
When you see 253.7nm that means 'germicidal
UV light' - the wavelength of the UV
spectrum that kills germs in the air
and on surfaces. The germicidal effectiveness
is proportional to the product of intensity
time from one micro-second to a few
hours.
Q:
I've read UV lights do in fact work,
but not in a furnace or air conditioning
duct because the UV light doesn't have
enough time to clean the air when the
air is moving by so fast. I'm interested
in how you overcome this problem.
A: CaluTech estimated a typical air velocity of a home
furnace and greatly increased the amount
of UV actually needed. When air is moving
at thousands of cubic feet per minute
(cfm) past a UVC light bulb, you're
right, it doesn't leave enough 'exposure
time' where the UV light can actually
do anything at all, so when you buy
those little tiny UV bulb air purifiers
for your air duct guess what? That's
what's happening. Using the double tube
germicidal UV bulb, which is already
a high output UV bulb, and placing another
one right next to it, just 5 inches
away, increases the amount of the UV
air purifiers power by an extreme amount.
It's more UV then you need to clean
surfaces, but it's the right amount
of UV that YOU HAVE TO HAVE in an HVAC
ventilation system to achieve any result
in air purification. Many sellers are
putting cheap little UV lights on air
purifiers and saying 'here's your answer
to indoor air quality problems' but
the truth is, they don't do a thing
but light up blue and look fancy. Isn't
that illegal? No, actually it's not.
If it's got UV it can be called a UV
air purifier. Regardless of how little
power it has.
Some
references you can check:
Ultraviolet and Infrared engineering by Summer, Interscience
Publishers
American conference of Governmental
and industrial hygienist, Threshold
limits for workroom air.
Ultra-Violet Radiation
by Koller, Pub. John Wiley and sons.
Any state government agency should also
have information on the technology used
in the wastewater field which is much
more critical than air sterilization.
UV is commonly used in place of chlorine
for disinfections and the technology
has been used extensively in the pharmaceutical
industry.
Q: There are a lot of units on the market. Where does the
CaluTech Blue™ fall into place?
A: Because of the recent scare of bio-terrorism, companies
have virtually popped up overnight selling
units that look a lot like the CaluTech
Blue™ air purification system. These
are NOT CaluTech germicidal UV air systems
and they do not perform to the level
of CaluTech standards.
Q: Is the CaluTech Blue™ constructed in a solid manner,
and are the electrical components safe?
A: The Calutech Blue™ series UV air purifiers are certified
to US & Canadian standards, encased
in a grounded metal housing and OSHA
compliant for commercial applications.
All CaluTech inner components use only
UL / CSA certified parts. Are you a
business? If so, don't install a product
with no certification, it's against
Federal building code.
Q: How many watts? What are the details
of the bulb?
A: UV-C: 24-26 Watts. Bulb: 36 watts
each, hot cathode.
This is the spec for the Blue, DSL,
and Airtronics UV air purifiers. The
high output duct mounted UV air purifier
features 120 watts. The Mini-Blue furnace
/ A/C duct mount air purifier features
2 18w lamps with short lamps for tight
areas.
Q: Is Hot Cathode better than Cold Cathode?
A: In the uppermost vertical section of your
plenum both hot and cold cathode tubes
suffer diminished effectivness based
on cooler temperatures. We overcompensate
with excessive UV-C wattage to get a
maximum kill without ozone. Hot cathode
is more effective than cold cathode
when installed at the condenser coil.
Cooler temperatures were known to cause
hot cathode UV lamps to dim a little,
but the new OxyCat
sleeve holds the temperature of the
bulb while it does its job, the second
method of air purificaiton.
Q: What is Snapcat?
A: Snapcat is an advanced air oxidation technology, commonly
called Photocatalytic Oxidation or nanotechnology.
A Photocatalyst for air purification.
Read more here. The
most advanced photocatalytic air purifier
is OxyCat, introduced in February of
2008. There's nothing else like it.
learn more
Q: How much does all this cost?
A: Units on the market are similar in price, most are much
higher. We have a low price guarantee.
Pricing can be viewed in the shopping cart.
Q: I've had a CaluTech system in my home for over a year
and have never changed the lamps. Does
this mean it is no longer cleaning the
air?
A: No. Although the lamps should be changed yearly for
maximum efficiency, your unit is still
cleaning the air. Not changing the lamps
every year lowers the effectiveness
of the sanitizing cycle.
Q: Similar UV air cleaners sell for $700 or more. Why is
the CaluTech Blue sold for such a low
price?
A: CaluTech is a wholesaler and manufacturer of air purification
equipment. Because we're not a reseller
for someone else we don't need to profit
more. We sell to HVAC and heating and
air conditioning companies, but we also
sell direct to you. We manufacture and
sell factory direct.
Q: I'd like to benefit from the use of a UV air cleaner,
but I do not have forced air ducts in
my home. Can I use the CaluTech Blue?
A: It is for ventilation only but you can benefit from
the CaluTech Custom Air Purifier Program,
a portable system that we custom make
(not expensive) for people who do not
have forced air ventilation. The United
Nations uses this same air purifier.
Q: I've just received my furnace air induct UV air purifier.
The instructions explain everything
well, but I'm still not sure where to
put it?
A: If you have A/C we recommend installation above the
coils. If you do not know where they
are look for a drain hose or copper
lines entering your air duct. This is
where the coil is. You want to install
the unit above this coil. Because coils
are always wet, even when the A/C is
not running, it becomes a breeding ground
for bacteria, viruses, dust mites, and
mold. The UV light shining down on this
coil burns all of these pathogens up.
DO NOT drill right into the duct where
the drain or copper lines are coming
out. You must install it above the coil.
If you run a drill bit into this coil
all the freon will come out and you
will need an HVAC contractor to open
the duct and repair the coil, or even
replace it. A good idea is to drill
a small inspection hole above where
the coil is, or even open the air duct
to look at where it sits, so you know
you've installed it in the right spot.
If you do not have A/C you can install
the unit easily in the cold air return
line, which is the duct that brings
the air in the home or building to the
furnace so it can be heated. If you're
in doubt, call a heating & air conditioning
company to install it for you. It doesn't
cost much to have it professionally
installed. Install time is usually less
than 15 minutes. Maximum plenum temp
is rated at 140F.
Q: I have a humidifier on my supply duct. Can I install
the UV air purifier near the humidifier?
A: Yes, at or above the humidifier. If you install it below
the humidifier water droplets can drip
down on the lamps and shorten their
life. The Blue UV air purifier is certified
for wet locations by CSA as safe. Even
more, OxyCat,
an add-on accessory, uses moisture to
further activate its oxy cleaning power.
Q: My HVAC contractor cut the cord off the CaluTech duct
mounted air purifier and wired it direct
to the fan. Does this mean I have no
warranty now?
A: You would have been better off with the unit on always,
not connected to a relay or switch on
the fan. When the fan isn't running
the pathogens and mold spores in the
air don't stop too. In addition, the
dust mites don't stop mating and multiplying.
You want the UV on whenever possible.
If mounted at the coils keep in mind
that they are always wet, even when
the fan shuts off. If the UV goes off
at the coil for even 10 minutes mold
already begins to form. Keep it on for
cleaner air. This extends the lamp life
and the electrical cost is no more than
a single light bulb. If you want it
to be sent as a hard wire unit we'll
ship it to you that way, just select
it at checkout.
Q: Do you offer remanufactued units?
A: Yes, from time to time we have units that are damaged
in shipping and exchanged, although
this is very rare. You can contact
us to inquire about any available
units at a discounted price.
Q: Will you really beat any price by $20 ?
A: Yes, if the competitor's unit is comparable, no matter
what the cost is, we will beat it by
$20 if their price is lower than ours,
guaranteed. Comparable means the unit
has the same amount of UV sterilization.
For example, if you find a 2 lamp air
purifier like the CaluTech Blue for a low price
and it performs with the same amount
of UV generated and carries an equivalent
warranty we will offer you ours for
$20 less than theirs, even if theirs
is on sale.
Q: If the air duct UV air purifiers fail how do I get my
replacement?
A: That's easy. No return authorization needed, just send
it back to us and we'll send you the
replacement or repair yours immediately.
Be sure to include your name, address
& email inside the box so we can
verify your warranty (unless your unit
has a warranty serial number tag on
it. If it does we scan the bar code
and know who you are).
Q: What exactly is ultraviolet light?
A: Ultraviolet light is an invisible light (to humans) but
many insects can see it (known as phototactic
eye sight). UV light emits at different
levels called nanometers (a unit of
measurement that is one billionth of
a meter). Ultraviolet light is separated
into three common spectrums. UVA operates
between 315 and 400 nanometers (nm).
These are known as black lights and
many insect zappers use this UV lamp
to attract insects to the zapper because
the insects think the light they see
is the sun. UVB is used for phototherapy
(treatment of skin diseases, for example)
and operates between 280 and 315 nm.
UVC is used for UVGI (ultraviolet germicidal
irradiation) and this is what our units
operate at. This light has a wavelength
of 100 to 280 nm. Our products operate
at 253.7 nm which is the optimal level
of UVC light for sterilization of the
air, and even water. UV light is present
in a fluorescent lamp tube which contains
a mixture of 3 mgs of mercury and a
phosphor coating. When UV lamps are
energized the electrical current is
mixed through the lamp tube that contains
the phosphor and mercury vapor. The
atoms in the Mercury absorb the energy
from the electrical current which causes
the atoms to become unstable. The atoms
seek to become stable again so in order
to do this they must lose any extra
energy they contain. When the atoms
release this energy it is released in
the form of ultraviolet radiation. When
the UV radiation is present in the tube
lamps it attempts to get out of the
phosphor coated lamps (coated inside
the tubes). When this happens UV light
is released. The more or less amount
of phosphor coating inside the lamp
tubes the higher or lower the amount
of nanometers. With different mixes
of phosphor the desired amount of UV
is produced (A, B, or C).
Our UVC light penetrates the outer membrane of viruses,
bacteria, mold, and even yeasts. When
this happens the DNA of the microbes
is modified, which causes modifications
to the DNA structure, and eliminates
the possibility of these microbes to
reproduce, so they eventually all die
off just as humans would if we could
no longer reproduce. All microorganisms
have different levels of tolerance to
radiation and these levels are measured
(known as a D Value) which makes it
possible to estimate the time of exposure
required to destroy these different
microorganisms. The chart on our home
page shows many of these values and
where possible we also link to more
information about the virus, mold, bacteria,
yeast, etc.
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