Air purification technology is an available solution for businesses seeking peace of mind

As business owners work to find ways to reopen safely and return to prepandemic economic levels, employers are learning about ways to protect their customers, staff and administration.

The iWave ionization air purification system can be an important element in helping to combat the spread of the Covid-19 virus. The small, maintenancefree devices — there are several different units based on the size and capacity of a building’s air handling system — can be installed in less than two hours, are effective and safe, and can have a cost and energy savings.

Additionally, ionization is a safe form of air purification. The technology has been around for decades, and has been proven to be an effective way to control odors, allergens and pathogens like the ones that cause Covid-19.

We reached out to Scott Tarzia of Granite State Plumbing and Heating (gsphinc.com) to learn more about ionization and the iWave solution, in particular.

What is the iWave Air Purifier, and how can it help make environments safer in the time of Covid-19?

Tarzia: “The iWave Air Purifier is a small ionizer that gets installed in a building’s HVAC system. The unit distributes positive and negative ions with the help of the HVAC system fans. Ionization allows the positive and negative ions to attach themselves to any dust particles that are known carriers of virus, bacteria and fungus cells. The ions weigh these particles down and make them large enough for a standard MERV-8 filter to catch and hold on to these particles — all the while the ions are extracting the hydrogen from the virus cell, rendering them dead.”

How is ionization superior to UV when it comes to purifying air?

Tarzia: “Ionization is superior to UV light systems because the ionizer is distributing ions all over the space, treating hard surfaces and other areas. The UV only treats the particles that pass through the light. The UV lightbulbs need to be changed on a yearly basis because the minute a UV light is turned on, it slowly starts to degenerate. The iWave requires no maintenance at all and selfcleans itself every 24 hours. UV is also very expensive to run with electricity vs. the iWave, which can be wired to a 24-volt source using very little electricity.”

What’s the iWave installation process like?

Tarzia: “The installation of an iWave takes about 1-2 hours depending on the unit it is being installed in. Most of the time, an experienced tech can install these with little to no interruption during the heating or cooling cycle.”

What kind of maintenance is required once I’ve had iWave installed?

Tarzia: “There is no maintenance required once the iWave is installed and running.”

What other types of bacteria and viruses does iWave protect against?

Tarzia: “The iWave also protects against E. coli, Staph, MRSA and tuberculosis. It also removes odors from cooking and pets. It can reduce static electricity in the space as well, and kills airborne molds, controls allergens and reduces VOCs.”

Granite State Plumbing and Heating has offices in Weare, NH.