How germicidal UV-C is used in garbage systems
Germicidal UV-C and ozone-making UV are both ultraviolet light, from lamps that look the same. Germicidal UV-C treats only the air that passes the lamp, inside a purifier. A UV ozone generator uses UV light to make ozone, and it's the ozone that travels out to where the odour starts.
What is germicidal UV-C?
UV-C is a band of ultraviolet light that's invisible to the eye. "Germicidal" UV-C usually means light at about 253.7 nanometres, the band used in germicidal lamps.
Germicidal UV-C is easy to confuse with the UV light that makes ozone: a germicidal UV-C lamp looks identical to an ozone-making one. The only difference is the kind of quartz glass used to make the lamp.
How is germicidal UV-C different from ozone-making UV?
- Germicidal UV-C works by irradiation: UV-C treats only the air that is exposed to the light, so only the air that passes inside the purifier.
- Ozone-making UV (vacuum UV, at 185 nanometres) doesn't treat the air itself. Ozone-making UV turns a small share of the oxygen in the air into ozone, and the ozone is sent out to the area that needs treating, where the ozone neutralises odour by oxidation.
Where is germicidal UV-C used in the Garbage Doctor®?
In our dual air purification models, the 4000, the 5000 and the Platinum, a second purifier draws the bin room's air past a germicidal UV-C lamp, which also activates the photocatalytic oxidation coating inside the purifier. The first purifier makes the ozone.
Talk to us about your building
Call 1300-ODOURS (1300 636 877), or send us photos of your bin room and chute, and we'll recommend the right system.
More guides
- What is ozone and how does it work?How ozone (O3) is made, and how ozone is used in commercial odour control equipment such as the Garbage Doctor.
- Types of ozone generatorsCorona discharge and ultraviolet ozone generators compared, and which is best for garbage odour control.
- Corrosion from ozone generators in garbage chutesHow the wrong kind of ozone generator can corrode a garbage system, particularly a steel chute base.
- Si-Zone® ultraviolet ozone generatorsThe UV ozone generator inside every Garbage Doctor, with a long history of use against garbage odours.
- Electrical testing requirements for odour control equipmentWhy your supplier should be testing and tagging your odour control or scenting system, as local law requires.
- Duty of care surrounding the garbage systemWhy the owners corporation, strata committee or body corporate has a duty of care for the garbage system.
- What is photocatalytic oxidation?How photocatalytic oxidation breaks down garbage odours inside an air purifier.
- Using scented vapour for garbage odour controlHow scenting adds a pleasant fragrance once the odour is neutralised, in a chute, bin room or public space.
- Garbage chute cleaning: why a clean chute can still smellWhy a freshly cleaned chute can still smell, and how chute cleaning and odour control work together.
- Why air fresheners alone don't fix bin room odourWhy sprays mask bin room odour for a while, why the odour comes back, and what neutralises the odour.
- Do extraction fans stop bin room odour?Why an extraction fan moves bin room odour around rather than removing the odour, and what works instead.
- Air conditioning in bin rooms: why it spreads odourWhy air blowing over the bins spreads more odour, how to set the air conditioning, and what neutralises the odour.