As a mechanical engineer with about 12 years within the HVAC business, I perceive how efficient UV air purifiers might be. What made me skeptical wasn’t the know-how itself—it was discovering a residential UV air air purifier for simply $60.
Between the mud protecting each floor in our home and my children’ runny noses that would not give up, I made a decision the REKO Lighting R2000 deserved a shot. A full yr later, the distinction in our dwelling’s air high quality has been outstanding—approach much less mud in all places, and the household’s respiration points are principally gone.
The $60 air air purifier that modified all the things
REKO Lighting R2000 twin UV air air purifier
Jonathon Jachura / MUO
The REKO Lighting R2000 is a dual-lamp UV-C air air purifier designed for residential HVAC programs. What instantly caught my consideration was its twin 18-watt configuration—36 complete watts of UV-C output on the crucial 253.7 nanometer wavelength. The unit measures 8 inches sq. and mounts immediately inside your ductwork utilizing two 1.75-inch penetrations.
At round $60, I used to be curious whether or not this dual-lamp design may match the effectiveness of single industrial items costing ten instances extra. The European-made bulbs and EPA registration quantity urged authentic high quality, however my skilled expertise informed me that correct UV purification requires ample lamp depth and publicity time—variables that funds items typically compromise.
Why I made a decision to make the leap
The air high quality issues I used to be going through
Jonathon Jachura / MUO
Even with all my technical information about HVAC programs from years at a sensor producer, our home had some air high quality issues. Each floor collected mud inside days of cleansing, we have been swapping out 4-inch HVAC filters month-to-month as an alternative of quarterly, and my spouse and children typically had stuffy noses and irritated eyes.
I might thought of putting in a high-end industrial UV system, however spending $500–$1,500 on a residential software felt extreme. The R2000’s dual-lamp setup gave me an opportunity to check whether or not funds UV purifiers may truly work, satisfying each my household’s want for aid and my engineering curiosity concerning the know-how.
The R2000 features a template and self-drilling screws, which made the set up easy. I additionally wanted these instruments and provides:
- 1.75-inch gap noticed (two holes required for the dual-lamp design)
- Excessive-quality metallic duct tape for correct sealing
- Security goggles (non-negotiable when chopping metallic)
- Customary hand instruments
The additional supplies ran me about $25, placing my remaining funding at $85.
Simple set up
A step-by-step set up course of
Jonathon Jachura / MUO
I put the unit downstream from the filter in my basement air handler. After shutting off HVAC energy, I used the included template to mark each 1.75-inch holes—the dual-lamp configuration requires exact spacing for correct match.
The ductwork chopping required some persistence, although the smaller holes have been simpler to handle than the bigger penetrations typical of single-lamp items. The R2000 match snugly into place, and people self-drilling screws held it securely to the duct. The ten-foot twine simply reached a basement outlet.
Security was my prime precedence all through: UV-C publicity may cause severe eye and pores and skin burns, so I wore private safety the entire time and by no means powered up the unit till it was contained in the ductwork.
Noticeable short-term modifications
Speedy shifts I seen
Jonathon Jachura / MUO
Three weeks in, I may see the mud wasn’t accumulating on our furnishings and electronics like earlier than. Our leisure heart, which beforehand collected seen mud inside days, stayed clear for practically two weeks. The twin-lamp configuration appeared to offer extra thorough therapy than single-lamp items I might seen.
Our HVAC filter efficiency improved dramatically. As a substitute of changing filters each 4 weeks because of heavy loading, they remained comparatively clear for two–3 months. This urged the UV system was neutralizing organic contaminants earlier than they might accumulate on the filter.
My household’s allergy signs improved considerably. The persistent morning congestion and intermittent sniffles that had been constants principally disappeared inside six weeks of set up.
The outcomes after one yr of use
Lengthy-term efficiency and reliability
Jonathon Jachura / MUO
After steady operation for a full yr, the R2000 continues working with out points. Each UV lamps are rated for about 9,000 hours, so I anticipate alternative someday within the second yr at roughly a $40 complete value for the dual-lamp setup.
As soon as I used to be assured within the outcomes, I put in an similar unit at my sister-in-law’s and brother-in-law’s home once they talked about comparable air high quality issues. Their expertise mirrored mine—substantial mud discount and fewer sniffles inside weeks.
What I discovered about funds air purification
When engineering meets economics
Jonathon Jachura / MUO
This undertaking strengthened that efficient air purification would not all the time require premium pricing. The R2000 makes use of authentic UV-C know-how on the correct wavelength (253.7 nanometers) to neutralize airborne contaminants. The twin-lamp design truly gives redundancy that some industrial items lack—if one lamp fails, the opposite continues working.
In-duct set up treats your total dwelling as an alternative of only one room, like smaller transportable air air purifier items do. The R2000 handles all of the air shifting via your HVAC system.
That mentioned, this strategy will not resolve each drawback. Homes with severe mould points, heavy pet dander, or industrial pollution would possibly want extra superior options. Nonetheless, for typical mud and organic contaminant management, this funds possibility performs surprisingly nicely. And for extra management, some useful cleansing devices will even assist hold the mud down in your house.
This low-cost air air purifier proved that costly is not all the time higher
This low-cost UV air air purifier vastly diminished mud and improved our dwelling consolation. It confirmed me that residential UV purification might be each efficient and inexpensive. Putting in the identical unit at a relative’s home with similar optimistic outcomes tells me this wasn’t coincidental.
Anybody coping with dusty houses and seasonal sniffles who needs to keep away from spending massive cash on skilled programs ought to give the R2000 a glance.
