What You Need To Know About Ultraviolet-C (UVC) Treatment Strength: 3 Important Questions.
One common question our team hears sounds like, “I have 10 rooms that are 1,200 sq. ft., so which products would you recommend?” It’s understandable because everyone wants to find that sweet spot where they get equipment that will be effective and efficient but not overpay for their solution. When customers ask us this question, we follow up with 3 questions of our own. The answers tell us a lot about which unit(s) would be best suited for them.
3 Essential Questions to Answer
What Size is the Physical Space You Are Treating?
The larger the space you are looking to disinfect, the more power you will want to have. That is because the UVC lightwaves lose potency the farther they travel from their source. Microorganisms within inches of the UVC source will be destroyed within milliseconds. If you move 12 feet away, the same microorganism might need 30 minutes of exposure to be disinfected. Therefore, we recommend purchasing a unit that can disinfect your primary area of concern in 10 minutes or less.
How Much Time Can Your Team Commit to Applying Treatments?
Like many processes, there is a hands-on component to applying our UVC treatments. For instance, the SolarStorm UVC Emitter Series is a mobile disinfection solution. Therefore, someone will need to roll the unit into a room, plug it in, and then turn it on. For that reason, many customers select high-output units like the SolarStorm 800 or SolarStorm 1200. Most large rooms can be treated in 10-20 minutes for these customers, while smaller rooms can be treated in 5 minutes. That versatility is a trademark of our SolarStorm Series.
What Microorganisms Are You Most Concerned About?
Some types of microorganisms are more resilient against UVC treatments. C. Difficile, for instance, has a thicker external coating which takes more energy for the UVC light to break down. This higher level of energy can be reached in 2 different ways.
Extend Exposure Time - A unit with a lower UVC output can be run until the entire space reaches the minimum energy needed to treat the microbe.
Increased Energy Output - A unit with a higher energy output can exert the necessary energy in less time, reducing the time needed to treat the area for a specific microbe.
The UVC Dosage Formula
Distance To The Furthest Surface
+ UVC Energy Output
+ Energy Needed to Disinfect Microorganism of Choice
= Length of Treatment