DLX-N Inactivates Pathogens On Surfaces and In Airstreams

UV Resources’ high output NEMA-4 dual UV-C fixture inactivates infectious diseases, such as SARS-CoV-2, on almost any inside or outside duct

The DLX-N™ high output, dual lamp ultraviolet NEMA-4 fixture from UV Resources disinfects HVAC/R airstreams, cooling coils, and drain pans, inactivating infectious diseases such as the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It is designed for a full range of new or retrofit infection prevention applications and can be installed indoors or outdoors in most light-commercial, commercial, industrial, and healthcare HVAC systems, as well as return or supply duct runs.airstreams

Research has shown the 254 nm germicidal wavelength can inactivate the genetic material in the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Moreover, when aerosolized, the COVID-19-causing virus is likely more susceptible to ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UV-C or UVGI) damage than other coronaviruses, such as SARS-CoV-1 (that led to the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome) or MERS-CoV (that caused the 2012 Middle East respiratory syndrome).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends UV-C among a handful of ventilation interventions to mitigate the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. “Upper-room UVGI systems can be used to provide air cleaning within occupied spaces, and in-duct UVGI systems can help enhance air cleaning inside central ventilation systems.”

The exterior-duct-mount dual lamp fixture doubles the germ-killing power of its SLX single lamp cousin designed to disinfect airstreams in return, supply, or exhaust plenums or ducts. Lamps from both products are inserted into the duct “spear-style” through a 3/4″ hole so they protrude into the airstream. The fixture is installed and serviced outside the air handler, or duct, and provides a versatile means of inactivating airborne pathogens in hard-to-access areas.

With lamp sizes ranging from 12″ to 31″, the DLX-N lamps provide 360° of high UV-C intensity. Ultraviolet light scrambles the genetic material in pathogens—DNA in bacteria and fungi and RNA in viruses—so they cannot replicate. Viruses and bacteria cannot develop a resistance to germicidal UV because it uses electromagnetic energy to inactivate, rather than synthetic or hazardous chemical elements such as ozone.

The DLX-N fixture, which stands for Dual Lamp eXterior-mounted NEMA-4 fixture, gives facility managers and building owners additional benefits beyond airstream disinfection. Like most germicidal fixtures installed near HVAC cooling coils, the DLX-N can improve heat transfer efficiency, reduce energy use, and lower maintenance costs.

DLX-N lamps come standard with the exclusive EncapsuLamp™ (FEP lamp coating) technology option, which protects installers, plenums, and airstreams from lamp residues such as glass, should an accidental lamp-break occur. In addition, it provides insulation to lamps for temperature changes that can negatively affect lamp output and performance.

The DLX-N fixture features premium materials with heavy gauge powder-coated steel, mounting and lid gaskets, as well as a waterproof, type 1 outdoor, rapid-start power supply and a CU2™ for lamp/ballast monitoring for BMS systems.

“Because of its high output and installation flexibility, the DLX-N can be used inside or out, which makes it especially popular with contractors working in hospitals and nursing homes, commercial offices, as well as food and pharmaceutical processing plants,” says Dan Jones, President of UV Resources, based in Santa Clarita, Calif. “Besides disinfecting airstreams, UV-C offers significant operational benefits, that include keeping HVAC coils, drain pans, and other internal surfaces free of microbes, organic matter, dirt, and grime—materials that produce odor, reduce airflow and limit cooling capacity.”

 

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