Will An Ultraviolet Air Cleaner Help Improve Air Quality?

Modern homes are designed to be sealed up very tightly against heat loss, and while this may lead to energy savings, it's not always the healthiest way to live. It can often mean a house lacks sufficient fresh air, and this can lead to unwanted contaminants building up in the home which can be very detrimental to your health. Air cleaners are designed to help remove contaminants from the air in the home. They can be very beneficial for anyone who suffers from certain respiratory ailments such as asthma or who has significant allergies. The air in the home can be full of mold spores, dust, pollen and pet dander, all of which can create allergies. Ultraviolet air cleaners can also be very good at helping to reduce tobacco smoke in the home. They are quite different from filters that are already present in many home heating and cooling systems. 

Ultraviolet Air Cleaners Can Help to Purify the Air in Your Home

Ultraviolet air cleaners can either be purchased as a small standalone unit, or can be attached to a home HVAC system. Ultraviolet air cleaners can work in several different ways. They can be used to purify or sterilize forced air that passes over ultraviolet lamps. Sometimes a fan is used to push the air past the ultraviolet light, while other systems that are installed into forced air systems will use the circulation already present to help purify the air. These systems are the best to look for and usually need to be professionally installed to be fully effective. They also work extremely well in combination with filtration systems designed to remove larger microorganisms. The light is fully contained so there's absolutely no risk of any harmful side effects. In these systems the ultraviolet light is often placed in the drain pan or at the coils of the cooling system to help prevent any undesirable microorganisms from forming in these damp areas.

How do Ultraviolet Air Cleaners Work?

Ultraviolet light is known to be able to destroy or render harmless biological and chemical contaminants in the atmosphere. The light produced by these units is exactly the same as the UV light produced by the sun, so it's actually a very natural process. The reason ultraviolet light is effective lies in the way it disrupts the DNA in biological contaminants so they are unable to perform the necessary cellular functions to stay alive and more importantly they lose the ability to replicate. Most of these organisms have an extremely short lifespan so it's possible to decimate the population quite rapidly.

Ultraviolet Light Is a Tried and Tested Method of Sterilization

Ultraviolet light has been used for many years in medical facilities and hospitals to help sterilize instruments and surfaces. It's also used in rooms that need to be completely clean and free from germs. In addition you'll find ultraviolet light is used in water purification systems to help eliminate bacteria and viruses. It is extremely safe and effective when properly installed.

Choosing a New Garage Heater for Winter Hobbies

Although spring may be just around the corner, it's likely to remain chilly for a good while yet, and winter may still have a nasty surprise for us up its sleeve. However one of the nice things about winter is it's an excellent time to get into indoor hobbies, and the garage can often prove to be an excellent location for permanently setting up tools and equipment and for being able to make a mess in a room where it doesn't really matter too much. But one of the problems of working in the garage is that the temperatures are often a little brisk, and having extra heat can make time spent on hobbies a lot more enjoyable. While it might be possible to pick up a cheap wood-burning stove or other heater for a garage, you really need something that's going to heat up the space quickly and efficiently helping you to maximize your leisure time. Ideally it needs to be something that you can just turn on and leave without the need to fiddle with it every 5 minutes. There are a lot of different heaters to choose from, so it's worth spending a bit of time picking the best one for your garage or shop.

Forced Air Heaters

Forced air heaters are a popular choice, and can be electric or gas fired. They are relatively cheap to install, but you do need to pick one that's rated for a residential building. It is best to have it professionally installed as it's simply not worth taking chances with electricity lines or gas lines. In some areas it's not even legal to perform your own gas hookup. These types of heaters can be mounted on the ceiling so you maximize your working area. You need to calculate the size of your garage, taking into account the height of the ceiling and any installation you may have. It's not worth buying an oversized heater as you'll simply waste energy. The major advantage of a forced air heater is that they give a uniform heat distribution.

Infrared Heating

Infrared heating is another popular choice, and is highly recommended by many installers as these types of heaters heat objects rather than the air. This means that provided it's properly positioned you'll be kept nice and warm. Infrared heaters can be mounted on the ceiling, but the energy produced will only be converted into heat when it actually hits an object. Some people prefer this type of heat to forced air, although energy costs may be similar.

Garage Heaters with a Separate Combustion Chamber

If your particular hobby is very dusty or dirty then you may be better off choosing a garage heater with a separate combustion chamber. This pulls in air from the outside to heat rather than heating up dirty air within the garage. This type of heater can be a lot safer, as there's always the slight risk of fire if the air within your garage contains flammable components such as wood dust or spray paint. In addition choosing a conventional forced air heater could mean it develops problems relatively quickly and requires more regular maintenance and repairs.