How do I know my air sanitizer unit is working?
This is a good question and one we get often. We wish there was an easy quick simple answer or test to this, but there just isn't. Air quality is complex and testing it is expensive.
In some cases of dramatic air quality issues, the change can be very noticeable. For example:
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In a small humid bathroom, it’s quite noticeable when cleaning for mold is no longer necessary or drastically reduced.
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Smells in confined spaces may go away.
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Your allergies may not flare up when the air conditioner kicks on (mitigates mold/allergens in the HVAC system)
In larger rooms or normal air quality situations though, you can't see, smell, experience change (especially with nose blindness). If the contaminants in your space are too high for the power of device installed (the device may not be sufficiently sized for a temporary issue like wildfires or ongoing issues like a stinky dog), then you won't notice a significant change. A working unit will still have an impact by reducing concentration, but a more powerful unit or other steps may be needed.
Here are some routes to determine whether the unit is working:
Examining the unit:
If you unplug and remove the front cover of the Germ Defender, you’ll see the carbon brushes that produce ions at the top edges to the left and right of the fan. Due to the positive and negative charges at their tips, they can get quite dusty when dust particles become charged with the opposite charge and attach themselves to the brush. So, if the tips seem dusty, it’s actually a sign that the unit was working. You can use a vacuum or toothbrush to clear the tips of dust, and clean the foam sponge filter (only on the Germ Defender) with soap and water. (If you see a lot of black “soot” material, however, that is not a desired effect of the unit and you should contact us).
Testing voltage:
The brushes generate a very high voltage at their tips (3.5-4.5kV DC in the Germ Defender). Although we cannot be held responsible for damage to yourself or your home if the device is energized without the cover on, it is possible to check the voltage at the tips of the brushes in this position. You must, however, use an approved high voltage meter and use all safety precautions.
Counting Ions:
Testing for ion output is the gold standard to tell whether a unit is working, however, quality ion counters are not cheap. We use ion counters from AlphaLabs, which are over $500. You may be able to find used ion counters. When testing for ions, it’s good to follow all instructions from the manufacturer, as these machines are quite sensitive and can be affected by static electricity. You can get a reference reading outdoors in nature, indoors, and then closer to a working bipolar ionizer like the Germ Defender or near an AC vent when your Whole Home unit is running. Moving the counter around in the air stream will be necessary to find the best reading.
Testing air quality:
Air quality testing is very limited in scope, accuracy and high on cost, and hard to reduce variables to get the true answers. Bipolar ionization has good effects on airborne fine particulates and if you have a PM2.5 or PM10 meter (these are affordable if you don’t have one), you should notice a difference in particulate levels when the unit is running. However, impacts on biologicals, ultra fine particulates (less than 2.5 nanometers), or chemicals cannot be seen.
If you have a specific chemical issue, it’s worth calling experts to check the levels of the chemical with and without your ionization unit running. For mold, nowadays, general level mold testing can be done at home through kits. GotMold.com has kits that include lab analysis in the price, or for general mold species and levels, you can get a pack of mold test plates from Micro Balance Health Products.
Photo by Brittany Colette on Unsplash
