Ultravation News and Information Center

Category: Odor Control

Oct 5

What are VOCs?

Cleaning products create VOCsVolatile Organic Compounds, or VOCs, are gases that are given off of certain solids or liquids at room temperature. VOCs can be produced by either man-made items or by naturally occurring chemical compounds. In fact, many scents or odors you smell are volatile organic compounds and some of them can be potentially harmful to your health.

VOCs can be found in a variety of places, but mostly they are found indoors. Household cleaners, carpets, dry cleaning, adhesives, paint and even new furniture give off, or “off-gas”, VOCs. That’s why the concentrations of VOCs are so much higher inside. The gases get released into the air, and without proper ventilation there is no way for them to escape.

Paint and varnish create VOCsSome people experience throat and eye irritation when exposed to elevated amounts of VOCs, while others don’t seem to be affected as much. A small exposure to these VOCs won’t cause any serious damage to your health, but long-term exposure can. That’s why it’s so important to know what volatile organic compounds are and how to prevent them from building up.

Ultravation’s UVPhotoMAX™ and Photronic™ Advanced Oxidation Air Purifiers are designed to destroy VOCs by employing an advanced photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) process that uses an exclusive titanium dioxide formula. They install in your HVAC system and are effective for the whole house.

Break down of VOCs

Learn more about the UVPhotoMAX™ air purifier here – the web page includes a video on the PCO process.

Learn more about Photronic™ comprehensive air cleaning system here.

See a list of hundreds of VOCs here

To learn more about volatile organic compounds please visit these websites:

Posted in indoor air quality, Odor Control | No Comments »

Sep 19

WebMD® Slideshow of Indoor Air Pollutants

People all over are taking notice of indoor air quality. Recently, WebMD® published a slideshow of indoor air pollutants and how they can affect people, especially children. The slides reveal a number of common household items and projects that can easily contaminate the air. Take a look at the WebMD® Surprising Sources of Indoor Air Pollution slideshow and see what we mean.

There are ways to safely remove VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) from the air in a home. Ultravation’s UVPhotoMAX breaks down the VOCs using photocatalytic oxidation powered by ultraviolet light, reducing or eliminating odors and the harmful compounds in the air. It is important to keep the VOCs in check, because some of them can be very detrimental to the health of you and your family.

 

Learn more about UVPhotoMAX (includes video!)

 

Posted in indoor air quality, Odor Control | No Comments »

Sep 13

Indoor Odors: Why does my kid’s room still smell like stinky socks after I’ve done the laundry?

Stinky SocksIf you’re struggling to control foul odors coming from your kid’s room, then this article is for you. While frequent laundering of gym socks is of course an excellent practice, there is a good reason why it might not solve the whole odor problem. Odors can “leak” off stinky socks, a gym bag, or a moldy sandwich left under the bed for three weeks, and hang in the air. Without proper ventilation, those smells can  penetrate the drywall, wood carpets and other materials in your home if left untreated long enough. So how do you stop these smelly odors? The answer is a very interesting technology called photocatalytic oxidation (PCO).

When titanium dioxide (TiO2) is exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light, highly reactive molecules called superoxide ions are formed. These ions are very useful. They react beautifully with odor molecules (that are generally VOCs or volatile organic compounds), oxidizing them by “stealing” their electrons. This reaction causes the odor molecule to break apart and reform into simpler molecules —mostly CO2 and a little water vapor. The creation of the superoxide ions and the reaction with odor molecules is known as photocatalytic oxidation. Long story short, PCO freshens the air by breaking up indoor air pollution as it passes through the HVAC filtration. It stops odors without adding fragrances and other odor masking solutions that so-called “air fresheners” use. And there are no harmful byproducts released into the air since the PCO process results in harmless elements already found in the air.

Ultravation’s UVPhotoMAX™ – a whole house UVC germicidal and odor neutralizing air purifier – uses the power of PCO to reduce odors. Install one in your HVAC system and let your nose be the judge. Gradually, your whole home – even the kids rooms – should smell fresher and cleaner. AND, it does more than just odor reduction. It also uses the UV light to kill airborne bacteria and viruses – any type of airborne organic. So, it’s actually a two-for-one system: odor reducer and germ fighter.

 

To learn more about Ultravation’s products that reduce odors in the air, please visit:

http://www.ultravation.com/odor-control-germicidal-uv-air-treatment/

Posted in indoor air quality, Odor Control, Technology, UV Disinfection | No Comments »

Aug 28

Building a Comprehensive Indoor Air Quality System

Over the past few weeks, we have discussed the importance of scheduled replacements of UV lamps and air filters to keep indoor air quality optimized. But did you know that combining ultraviolet light disinfection and air filtration creates a comprehensive IAQ system that adds up to more than the sum of its parts? By working together, these units can eliminate a much wider range of indoor air contaminants then they ever could separately. Let’s take a deeper look:

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Air filtration, Airborne Viruses, Allergies, Energy Savings, indoor air quality, Odor Control, UV Disinfection | No Comments »

Apr 17

Ewww…What’s that smell?

I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to smell first thing in the morning is what I had for dinner last night. Sure, that garlic and Parmesan encrusted fish on a bed of spinach and onions was delicious, but it doesn’t really mix well with a cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin. And trying to get rid of those leftover odors can be difficult. There are all kinds of home remedies involving lemons, candles and burnt toast, but none of them really work well and all you end up with is one smell covering another instead of fresher smelling air. Of course, there are sprays you can use to attempt to mask the unwanted odors, but buying bottle after bottle can get expensive and who really wants their kitchen smelling like a Tahitian breeze or fresh laundry, anyway? Read the rest of this entry »

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Aug 1

Ultravation to showcase their indoor air quality treatment products at the 2012 AHR EXPO – January 23-25, 2012

Ultravation® UVPhotoMAX™ shown with EZ-Light™ enhancement

Ultravation® will be exhibiting at the AHR EXPO on January 23-25, 2012. The 64th International Air-conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition will be held at McCormick Place North & South in Chicago, Illinois and is where 52,000+ contractors, engineers, distributors, facility managers, OEMs, and other professionals from all over the world will convene to learn about new products and resources for the HVAC&R professional and how they can use them to improve their business and sales. The AHR EXPO will provide access to more than 1,800 manufacturers and suppliers of the latest HVACR systems, equipment, products and services.

Visit Ultravation’s exhibit (booth 6391) which will showcase their extensive product line of Indoor Air Quality systems including the UVPhotoMAX™ air purifier. It uses TWO-bands of UV light in its ReFresh™ photocatalytic advanced oxidation (PCO) system to destroy airborne bacteria, viruses and allergens while neutralizing hundreds of common household VOC odors. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Airborne Viruses, Allergies, Energy Savings, Odor Control, Ultravation News | No Comments »

Aug 4

How is the BP Oil Spill Affecting the Air We Breathe?

The EPA has been monitoring the air quality along the Gulf Coast and taking samplings in response to concerns from area residents about the odors they are smelling as a result of the BP Oil Spill. The EPA states that one such odor that people are experiencing is a smell you may experience when at a gas station filling your gas tank or gas can. The odor may be the result of  volatile organic compounds, or VOCs – specifically those such as benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, and xylene found in oil. The EPA goes on to say that…

“Exposure to low levels of VOCs may cause temporary irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and skin. It is possible that people with asthma may be more sensitive to the effect of inhaled VOCs. The VOC smell may give you a headache or upset stomach but is not expected to cause long term health effects. If you are sensitive to VOCs, you should stay indoors to limit your exposure, close windows and doors, and set your air conditioner to a recirculation mode. The smell may become stronger if the wind or weather changes.”

Are you sensitive to VOCs? Ultravation’s UVPhotoMAX installed in your HVAC system can help. The UVPhotoMAX™ dual band UVC and advanced photocatalytic odor reduction system is highly effective at breaking up VOCs into harmless components. It works automatically within your HVAC system to destroy hundreds of common household VOCs such as building materials, adhesives, paints, varnishes, disinfectants, cleaning products, cooking, carpet, furniture, and others.

Posted in Odor Control | No Comments »

Jan 15

Visit Ultravation at the AHR EXPO – January 25-27, 2010

Ultravation will once again be exhibiting at the AHR EXPO – January 25-27, 2010 – at the Orange Country Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

UltPLogoAHRVisit Ultravation’s expanded exhibit (booths 3064/3164) showcasing our extensive product line of  Indoor Air Quality Systems including our UVPhotoMAX™ with Dual-band UV Photon Clarifier™, a straight forward, duct installation system with unprecedented germicidal and odor treatment capability and our UVMatrix-SI Series that disinfects and keeps bio-growth off of HVAC coils and surfaces in large air handlers.

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  • Click here to make an appointment with an Ultravation IAQ Specialist at the AHR EXPO.

Don’t forget to participate in our The Long Drive Challenge, to benefit the American Lung Association, for your chance to win some fantastic prizes playing Wii golf. Our Grand Prize is a top of the line Photronic comprehensive whole house air purification system – up to a $1600 value. Other prizes include a custom Ultravation IAQ System for your home (up to $800 worth of Ultravation IAQ products), Amazon Kindle ($260 value), Apple IPod Touch ($250 value), and a $150 gift certificate to your favorite restaurant. A $5 donation allows you three drives to win and Ultravation will match 100% of donations. And there are no limitations to how many times you can play. High scores will be posted so visit us often to see your status. Winners will be announced on the final day of the show.

Posted in Odor Control, Ultravation News, Uncategorized, UV Disinfection | No Comments »