Product Focus - Second Wind Air Purifier 2000 Series

Our 2000 Series of Whole Home Air Purifiers is the workhorse of our product line, producing the most intense ultraviolet light is residential air quality systems.  These lamps are partnered with our Photo-Catalytic Oxidation system which reduces household odors and breaks down bacteria, viruses, molds and other contaminants that may be found in your home's air.

Original Design, circa 2005

The design for this purifier began in 2000, as the US was taking notice of the dangerous effects of ozone to the human respiratory system.  Second Wind had used ozone producing lamps to provide the air purification solutions to homeowners through its 1000KCS, 2150 and other purifier models when its business began, but a new technology was sought after that could purify the air without the residual ozone creation.  The intent of the design was to provide the safest method of air purification with no potentially harmful by-products.By harnessing the naturally occurring hydroxyl radical that is created by photo-catalytic oxidation this goal was accomplished.

In 2011 design changes were tabled as essential and the focus was placed on improving installation and appearance of the unit.  Upgrades were:

2011 Redesign

• Finished in gun-metal grey powder coat paint - no more 'Lennox' brown
• Hinged cover to improve serviceability and installation - no loose parts
• Pre-installed gasket material 
• UV Lamp/PCO module shipped uninstalled - less damage incurred during installation
• UV Lamp/PCO module cross-section decreased - 2-3/4 dia hole saw large enough for placement into airspace or can still use tinsnips
• Steel components replaced by aluminum - save shipping costs

These upgrades have been well received, as our customers have been able to advertise reduced installation times and a durable looking design that differs from our competitors.  Our redesign kept all replacement parts exactly the same as the original design, so SKU's of wholesalers and dealers were not affected either.  

The decision as to which model from the 2000 Series you should consider purchasing depends on a small set of questions.  Try this an see what results comes up for you.

2018: (1) HO lamp with PCO odor control system

2000: (2) HO lamps with double the PCO of 2018

2000-230: same as 2000, but provided for 240V power supply

2181: smaller lamp design (9" long) for shallow ducting, 240V power supply

Input Voltage 

120V use model 2000 or 2018

 240V use model 2000-230 or 2181

Duct Cross Section 

Less than 17" across longest part of duct: use 2181

Greater than 17" across longest part of duct: 2000, 2018 or 2000-230

Square Footage of Facility

Less than 1700 sq ft: use 2018 if answer is 'no' to below

Breathing problemsAllergy/Asthma Sufferer or Strong Odor Issues in Home 

If yes: use 2000 or 2000-230

If no: 2018 if square footage of facility meets criteria

Remember - you can never have too much UV intensity in your HVAC system, but you can have too little. 

If you wish to only sell one model of air purifier, the 2000 is our best seller in the family as it addresses the broadest spectrum of needs.  It is our recommendation to use this device for your 'plug-in' & duct-mounted weapon of choice.  Please comment here or email for any support information at  any time!   

Photocatalyst Video - Best I've seen Titanium Dioxide TiO2

I couldn't wait for my next blog to show this video off, I was so thankful to see it clearly explained by these talented people!  If you have any questions about it, please let me know and I'll be happy to help-Tom

Ozone Production in Air Purification

Ozone was proposed as a new substance in air in 1840 and its formula O₃ was determined in 1865.  It was named after the Greek verb ozein ("to smell"), from the peculiar odor after lightning storms. Ozone's odor is sharp, reminiscent of chlorine, and detectable by many people at concentrations of as little as 10 parts per billion in air. 

Ozone is a powerful oxidant. This same high oxidizing potential, however, causes ozone to damage mucus and respiratory tissues in animals, and also tissues in plants, above concentrations of about 100 parts per billion. This makes ozone a potent respiratory hazard and pollutant near ground level. 

In air purification, ozone can be manufactured by different processes: Corona Discharge, Cold Plasma and Ultraviolet light.  Here is a small explanation of each process and facts regarding each.

Corona Discharge: These units usually work by means of a corona discharge tube. They are cost-effective and do not require an oxygen source other than the ambient air to produce ozone concentrations of 3–6%. They also produce nitrogen oxides as a by-product. A product using this method creates audible and radio frequency noise.

Cold Plasma: In the cold plasma method, pure oxygen gas is exposed to a plasma created by dielectric barrier discharge. The diatomic oxygen is split into single atoms, which then recombine in triplets to form ozone.Cold plasma machines utilize pure oxygen as the input source and produce a maximum concentration of about 5% ozone. They produce far greater quantities of ozone and are very expensive.

Ultraviolet: UV systems generate ozone by producing a narrow-band ultraviolet light in a wavelength of 185 nanometers (Vacuum UV part of light spectrum).  These systems are less expensive than others and produce ozone with a concentration of about 0.5% or lower.  Unlike corona discharge systems, this production method does not produce harmful nitrogen by-products. 

Second Wind Air Purifier model 1000KCS

The use of ozone was the first method employed by Second Wind Air Purifier for air purification.  This process would treat the rapidly passing air with UV-C light at the same time as producing  ozone, which after creation would move into the living spaces of homes to prolong the reactive oxidation process.  If the unit was only producing ozone, it would be less efficient in its purification of the air.  We still use ozone producing spliced lamps in many of our products where it is desired to treat very irritating odors like those from cigarette smoke, but for most normal applications, our Photo-Catalytic Oxidation process is sufficient, and no ozone is created or noticeable by its own odor.

Ozone purification is still used by many of Second Wind's competitors, but the fears of ozone its effects on people led us to move to the Photo-Catalytic Oxidation process that we discussed in our last post as our preferred method of air purification.  After all, we need our customers healthy!  

Hydroxyl Radicals in Air Purification

This week's post is a first in set of articles designed to inform our readers about the technology behind air purification systems.  This issue's focus is on the photo-catalytic oxidation process used by many Second Wind Air Purifier products.

Second Wind Air Purifier’s preferential approach to Air Purification is to use a process called Photo-Catalytic Oxidation (PCO).  Four components are required to be present for this process to occur.  These are: airflow, a light source, water vapor (humidity) and a catalyst.  The chemical reaction occurs by combining UV (ultraviolet) light with a catalyst, to create a host of "Friendly Oxidizers".  These are oxidizers that are based on oxygen and hydrogen and revert back to harmless carbon dioxide and water after they oxidize.  NO CHEMICALS are involved and therefore NO CHEMICAL RESIDUE REMAINS.  

 The main oxidizer created is the Hydroxyl Radical (OH).  This is a most important oxidizing species.  It is highly reactive and is able to oxidize most chemicals.  This powerful tool has been described as “the detergent of the atmosphere”.  It is the strongest oxidizing process this side of fluorine.  

Relative oxidation power
compared to chlorine.

The same process that creates hydroxyl radicals may also create lower levels of other friendly oxidizers, depending what other hydrocarbons are in the circulating air.  Some of these oxidizers have a longer life-cycle and continue attacking contaminants  as they travel throughout the home, scrubbing the surfaces and breaking down the contaminants they reach. 

The hydroxyl radical lifecycle is short-lived, but it is plenty of time to begin attacking odors, off-gases and pathogens nearby when using Second Wind's technology. Our systems use High Output UV-C lamps and a large catalyst surface area create MORE radicals.  This is essential in understanding and evaluating different air purifiers, .  It is worth noting that the higher the UV intensity and the more surface area of the catalyst you have, the better odor control you will receive.

Second Wind Air Purifier explanation of Photo-Catalytic Oxidation process (sorry, you may have to zoom)

Aside from the whole-home purification that our products provide, there have been other groups working to provide odor control to other parts of the world using this same technology.  A few articles are below.

TiO2 in pavement for improved air quality
Cotton Fabric cleans itself

Turn off Your Second Wind for Thanksgiving Day

For a first post, I am extremely happy to be telling an excellent testimonial story I received from one our awesome Sales Representatives at our National Meeting in Chicago.

  A customer had just installed a Second Wind Model 2000 Air Purifier units just days before the  Thanksgiving holiday.  Family were planning to arrive late afternoon to enjoy some quality time together around the dinner table, where his wife's exquisite turkey dinner with all the trimmings were to be served.
  All the prep work was completed, and the stuffed bird was put in the oven, so the couple decided to take advantage of the beautiful fall day and do some late fall clean-up outside, finishing to protect some young trees, some light raking and such.  All told, it took them out of the house for about 3 hours.
  Upon their re-entry to the house, they entered the front door and the wife froze at the entrance, stunned.  She turned to her husband and yelled, "Oh no! I can't smell the turkey!  The oven's broken or I forgot to turn it on before we went out-everybody's going to be here anytime, the food won't be ready, what are we going to do?"
  After some calming words from her husband, they took off their coats and boots, and walked toward the kitchen.  As they approached, the sweet aroma of the roasting turkey became apparent.  From their initial entry at the front door of the house until they got closer to the kitchen entrance, they could not smell it!
  Second Wind Air Purifiers are equipped to deal with off-gases and odors through a couple of different methods.  Customers are often thankful that the unpleasant smells of smoke, mildew and other obnoxious odors have been removed by our devices, but its not difficult to justify that the good odors we love to endure in our homes are also being treated by the Photo-Catalytic Oxidation Process and they may disappear too!
  So for those of you looking forward to enjoying that sweet, sweet turkey aroma over the holiday, I'd like to suggest that you TURN OFF your Second Wind Air Purifier for the Thanksgiving holiday...Just remember to  TURN IT BACK ON in order to keep purifying your home's air!
  Happy Thanksgiving to all our customers, Sales Representatives and vendors as you celebrate the holiday.