Why is UV-C Light Important?

Your air purifier works hard to capture and trap all of the germs and bacteria floating around in the air you breathe.

But then what?

Do all those germs and bacteria simply sit in the unit, itching to get out and reinfect the air around you? More needs to be done.

This is what’s going to make the difference between a mediocre air purifier and an excellent one. What does the unit do once it’s trapped all the bad stuff? That’s where UV-C light comes in.

Let’s dive into what UV-C light is, why you need it, how it works, and more specifically, whether or not it can help us in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

What is UV-C Light?

UV-C stands for ultraviolet C. And it does a much bigger job than most of us realize.

As the FDA describes, UV-C light has the power to disinfect the air, water, and nonporous surfaces. It’s actually a type of radiation, and it’s been used for decades to help stop the spread of bacteria and deactivate viruses (like tuberculosis).

This is why a lot of UV-C lamps are called “germicidal” lamps. They quite literally kill germs.

Some of the main benefits of using UV-C light to kill bacteria are that it doesn’t require any harmful chemicals, it’s eco-friendly, it kills these germs within seconds, and importantly, it’s impossible for bacteria to build up a resistance to it.

You might already be understanding why UV-C light plays such a massive role in air purifiers, so let’s keep going.

Why Does Your Air Purifier Need UV-C Light?

As we mentioned earlier, your air purifier is going to trap all sorts of dangerous particles in your immediate environment. Some air purification systems will stop here, considering their job done once they’ve captured all the “bad guys.”

However, our work isn’t complete. All of those particles are still in your environment — and they still present a threat.

Sans doesn’t just want to trap these harmful particles. We want to destroy them completely. And that’s where UV-C light comes in.

Here’s how it works.

Your Sans air purifier gives you four solid layers of protection: the pre-filter, the HEPA 13 filter, the activated carbon filter, and lastly, UV-C light.

The UV-C light only affects what’s inside your Sans unit. By this point, your air purifier has trapped mold, viruses, and bacteria. How can you know that these tiny particles won’t escape the unit and come back to harm you?

Here’s how: Pulses of the UV-C light will neutralize the pathogens and microorganisms. This ensures that they don’t grow on the other filters, escape the device, and ultimately make you sick.

So, it’s not only about making sure that you’re breathing clean air right now. It’s also about making sure that Sans maintains your air quality into the future. This is what sets us apart from our competitors.

What About UV-C Light and Coronavirus?

That’s a great question. Will your Sans air purifier help keep your air clear of the virus that causes COVID-19?

Yes. In fact, this was the inspiration behind Sans. Let’s go back to what the FDA says about COVID-19 and UV-C light and dig into this a bit more.

At this point, we’ve seen that UV-C light can destroy the outer protein coating of SARS-Coronavirus. And it may also be able to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is what causes COVID-19.

Keep in mind that there will be additional factors to consider. For example, more research is needed to better understand the wavelength, dose, and duration that’s needed in order for UV-C light to completely kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Also remember that in order for this to work, the virus must be directly exposed to the light — which is what’s happening inside your Sans air purifier.

While more research is absolutely needed to better understand the more finite details, and there are still a lot of question marks, UV-C light is indeed proving promising in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Is UV-C Light Alone Enough for My Air Purifier?

No! We highly recommend that you go with a unit that offers multiple layers of protection, like Sans.

It starts with our pre-filter, which captures larger pollutants like hair and dust. This allows the following layers to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently.

Our HEPA 13 filter (“HEPA” standing for “high efficiency particulate air”) is medical grade and does the bulk of the work. This layer is responsible for catching viruses, bacteria, and allergens, like pollen, dander, dust mites, and mold spores. Your HEPA 13 filter will remove at least 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 microns, and 99.95% of particles down to 0.1 microns. (For context, the average human hair is roughly 90 microns thick. In other words, the HEPA 13 layer can trap a lot.)

Lastly, the UV-C light comes in to finish saving the day and sanitize the inside of your air purifier. It’s a very holistic approach to air purification.

And that’s how it’s done.

When you put an air purifier with UV-C light built in into your home or office, you can breathe easy — literally — knowing that all of the most dangerous particles around you are being obliterated. Combine that with the power of our other three layers of protection, and you’ve got an air purification system that’s going to keep you and those around you safe and healthy.

Using an air purification system is a simple and effective way to stay in good health year-round.

Ready to take the next step? Shop with Sans today.