Does iWave produce ozone? No doubt, the iWave air purifier is among the very best you can find today.
It works great to eliminate airborne viruses and pathogens to provide you with a cleaner atmosphere. But, does the iWave produce ozone?
As it relies on bi-polar ionization, it is natural to have certain concerns, and one of which is about ozone production.
So, does iWave air purifier produce ozone?
The iWave air purifier indeed relies on needlepoint bi-polar ionization, but it does not produce ozone.
Understanding More about Ozone and Air Purifiers
Ozone is a gas that has 3 oxygen atoms. O3 is present in the upper atmosphere and at the surface. It can be natural or man-made.
High up in the stratosphere, ‘good’ ozone protects Earth from UV radiations.
However, ozone is harmful and toxic to life when it is at ground level.
This ‘bad’ ozone is the product of chemical reactions involving emissions, vehicle exhausts gases and air pollutants.
Natural ozone is created when oxygen, O2 is split by sunlight.
In the stratosphere, O3 levels are kept in a balance between the sunlight that creates it and the chemical reactions that destroy it.
Fact: Using air purifiers makes sense considering that about 91% of the world's population is exposed to polluted air.
Can Air Purifiers Produce Ozone?
Yes. Some kinds of air purifiers are called ozone generators and they are designed to emit ozone to clean the air and remove airborne particles, chemicals, mold, viruses, bacteria and odors.
Manufacturers have been known to exaggerate ozone generators’ air-cleaning abilities by using made-up marketing terms.
Some of the terms they use are:
- Activated oxygen
- Super oxygenated
- Energized oxygen
But, the truth is that these claims are in an effort to hide the fact that the units produce harmful gas.
An Important Consideration
There are other kinds of air-cleaning devices that emit ozone. These utilize ionizers and electrostatic precipitators creating a charge that pulls in airborne contaminants.
They emit less ozone than the generators.
Connection of Bipolar Ionization in Air Purifiers and Ozone
Bipolar ionization, or needlepoint bipolar ionization, is used in air conditioning systems and portable air cleaners.
The process generates positively and negatively charged particles.
As well as cleaning the air of the typical collection of allergens like pollen and dander, manufacturers claim bipolar ionization can clear the air of viruses including COVID-19.
However, the claim has not been tested outside the laboratory.
It is important to know that many people are concerned that bipolar ionization may not deal with viruses as effectively as its manufacturers claim.
Not only this, there is a growing concern about these purifiers having the potential to generate ozone along with a collection of other potentially harmful by-products unless carefully maintained.
Does iWave Produce Ozone or Not?
When it comes to buying an air purifier, it is so common to think about putting your money on an iWave air purifier.
The iWave is a needlepoint bi-polar ionization generator that ionizes the air inside HVAC systems.
The iWave is the first of its kind, self-cleaning and needing no maintenance and designed with a 10-to-15-year service life.
It is for use as one of a collection of EPA’s recommended measures, a toolbox, complied with to improve the quality of the air in homes and offices.
The use of iWave is supposed to offer many health benefits, which in turn also reduces employee absences due to viruses and colds.
Fact: At least 1 out of every 10 people exposed to polluted air fail to make it, which is why you need to take air pollution seriously.
Why Is It Supposed that iWave Purifier Produces Ozone?
Contrary to what people may think, the truth is that the iWave Purifier does not produce ozone.
The process of bi-polar ionization does not really use ozone or generate it.
It means that iWave Purifiers produce clean ozone free air, which is what makes this new technology exciting.
Many people think iWave Purifiers might produce gas, which is understandable when ozone is generated by almost all the air purifiers on the market.
Now we know air purifiers that generate ozone are not safe. California banned ozone generating air purifiers in 2017.
They are old technology that adds a gas to indoor air where it harms health and they do little to clean the air anyway.
What are the Different Models of iWave Purifiers and do any Produce Ozone?
The iWave is unique air purifier technology, manufactured for and sold by Nu-Calgon, the market leader in the air purification industry with 70 years’ of experience.
They also sell the same technology as Nu-Shield-Cl for commercial use.
The best thing about these offerings is that they can be easily installed into existing systems.
The iWave has 4 models, R, C, M, and V. The iWave-R can be used with all brands of residential AC systems, so long as you do not go over 6 tons.
However, the iWave-C can handle up to 12. iWave-M fits with cooling coils up to 36″ wide and the iWave-V treats air in the living space for systems up to 6 tons.
No matter which model of iWave purifier you choose, you can be rest assured that you won’t have to deal with the release of ozone.
How Does an iWave Purifier Work If It Does Not Produce Ozone?
The iWaves charge ions to capture allergens as they pass through an air conditioning or heating system.
It is a process that takes hydrogen from the cells of airborne bacteria, mold and viruses so they die.
They clean the air of fine particles like pollen and dander.
Each iWave Air Purifier uses two emitters to generate equal numbers of positive and negative ions they release into the air stream. There they react and form a plasma region.
Pollutants and gases that pass through are broken down into harmless amounts of oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water vapor.
The positive and negative ions clean the air, reducing smoke and odors as well as removing more visible particles.
The interesting thing is that this ionization process also deals with VOCs.
Fact: Volatile organic compounds are the fumes given off by the chemicals we use around the house and office and negatively impact air quality as they react with each other.
Where to Place an iWave Purifier for the Best Results?
iWave’s technology takes nature as its inspiration using the same ions as lightning, waterfalls and ocean waves.
But, to maximize air purifying efficiency, an iWave must be installed correctly so that the air can pass over the two electrodes.
Once you have installed it correctly at the right place, it will need no further maintenance being a self-cleaning system with no wear on parts.
The iWaves are designed for universal mounting on any system before or after the coil depending on the quality of the air being treated.
It can be fitted by a magnet after the return filter near the indoor fan or by screws on the outside of the duct.
Alternatives to iWave Purifiers that Do Not Produce Ozone
There are other ozone-free air purifiers on the market, and you can definitely pick one based on your unique needs and budget constraints.
The Levoit Core 600
The Levoit Core 600s is an economical way to treat large rooms and open plan office spaces.
The Levoit Core is an air filter that processes air in three stages using different stages, including:
- A mesh pre-filter
- A HEPA
- A high efficacy particulate air filter
- An activated carbon filter
The use of these filters enables it to remove dust, pollen, mold, bacteria and airborne particles from the air.
The Blast Mini
The Blast Mini has also performed superbly in tests. It takes just 17 minutes to clean a room.
The Blast Mini is a portable unit weighing 58lbs (27kg), perfect for the home. It has a powerful fan, a HEPA and activated carbon.
This low-cost material is highly porous and widely used to absorb or remove pollutants in various contexts.
The Levoit Core 600s and The Blast Mini produce clean, safe ozone free air.
Fact: Air purifiers that utilize HEPA filters are known to work extremely well at reducing allergies.
Takeaway
Does iWave produce ozone? Many people think that air purifiers relying on bipolar ionization are likely to produce ozone.
While some brands do, it is not the case with iWave. You do not have to worry about exposing yourself to ozone by using iWave purifier.
The good thing is that you can find various models, but none of those iWave purifiers produce ozone.
You can definitely put your money on one of these to help improve the indoor air quality.
