Air Purifier Quality Questions

Ultraviolet air purifiers are now a requirement in most U.S. Government facilities. UV air purification works and is among the most effective types of air purification available.

From allergies to asthma to bronchitis and tuberculosis, UV has helped many people. We have received many testimonials from people across the entire world praising our UV systems and their excellent success rates when it comes to removing infected air. Get yours today, you'll be glad you did.

The original CaluTech Blue UV Air Purifier was originally developed to help a child with severe asthma problems after no other air purifier did anything for him. Today it is available worldwide.

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� purification system. These are NOT CaluTech units and they do not perform to the level of CaluTech standards. Some claim 50 or 60 thousand microwatts with a short little single lamp, this is not true.

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, Hurricane, and Airtronics UV air purifiers. The new High Output duct mounted UV air purifier features 120 watts. The new 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.

Q: How much does all this cost?

A: Units on the market are similar in price, but usually much higher. The CaluTech Blue is fully guaranteed. Pricing can be viewed in the shopping cart. Replacement lamps, are available for $22.99 each, (Two 36w UV Lamps are used on the Blue, Hurricane, and DSL. One 36w UV Lamp is used on the Airtronics model.), and should be replaced annually for maximum efficiency. 18w UV Lamps are $22.49 (Two are used on the Mini-Blue) and 60w UV Lamps are $49 (Two are used on the High Output model).

Why UV Air Purifiers?

LEARN ABOUT OXY CAT

Q: I already have an air duct purifier, can I trade mine in?

A: Yes! We will credit you. Just send us your used air duct mounted air purifier (any type, not just UV) and we will give you one that really works for as much as 20% off!

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 saw a similar item, called an ozone generator. Is this the same thing?

A: The CaluTech products are not an ozone generating air cleaners. Ozone is harmful to your health. Click here to read the EPA page to learn what an ozone system really does.

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. Each lamp is under warranty for 30 days, and 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. The lamps are known to operate for as long as 3 years. We recommend annual changes of the UV lamps for maximum sterilization.

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 email us at "corporate1 at calutech.com" to inquire about any available units at a discounted price, but keep in mind that remanufactured units only carry a 1 year warranty, where brand new units like the CaluTech Blue carry a 10 year warranty when purchased as new.

Q: Will you really beat any price by $20 ?

A: Yes, if the competitor's unit is equivalent in UV power, no matter what the cost is, we will beat it by $20 if their price is lower than ours, guaranteed. "Equivalent" 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 we will offer you ours for $20 less then what their price is, even if it's on sale.

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 wholesale 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 from this website. Many companies sell products by others. This causes pricing to be raised more and more as the product goes from one company to the next, and finally to the end user...you. We manufacture and sell direct to the public.

More about why these are best

Q: How much maintenance does the unit require?

A: CaluTech Blue air purifiers require minimal maintenance. All you need to do is change the lamps once a year for maximum efficiency. Once your unit is installed, 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 20 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 and a phillips screwdriver, that's it!

Q: What kind of warranty does CaluTech offer?

A: The CaluTech Blue, Mini-Blue and DSL UV air purifiers carry a warranty of 10 years against parts and labor. 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. The Calutech Blue� produces over 24,000 microwatts of complete air sterilization and has been tested to safely sanitize between 98 and 99.9 percent of the indoor air. No other unit we're aware of on the market can compete. 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. These UV lamps are regulated at 253.7 nm energy. The germicidal effectiveness is proportional to the product of intensity time from one micro-second to a few hours. CaluTech estimated a typical air velocity of a home furnace and doubled the amount of UV actually needed.

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: If I have a problem with one of your duct mounted air purifiers 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 repair or replacement immediately. Be sure to include the name and zip code inside the box that you used when you purchased so we can locate your information (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: On the CaluTech Blue you offer a 10 year warranty. If my unit fails in 9 years and you give me my replacement unit do I get another 10 year warranty on the replacement or does my warranty expire?

A:No, sorry. 10 Years only.

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 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 produce. 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.

More Questions? Call us toll free: 1-888-932-0383

Everything you need to know about Air Purification