Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How large is Pure Skies?

Pure Skies weighs 8 kgs and comes in below dimensions:

35 (H) x 30 (W) x 15 (D) cms

How should Pure Skies be installed?

One Pure Skies system consists of one Pure Skies Unit and one air quality monitor. Commercial units or installations in large homes may also include one or more Pure Skies units and additional air quality monitors.

Pure Skies Unit

Installation is floor mounting. For Pure Skies Units that are used inside factories or locations next to busy roads, we recommend placing the unit on an anti-vibration mat. Heavy vibrations can affect the performance of the unit.

Inside a factory:

We recommend mounting the Pure Skies unit on an elevated platform to save floor space. And yes, we love it when our customers put Pure Skies on a pedestal!

Outdoor installations:

Install the Pure Skies unit on the roof or veranda of the tallest building in the vicinity. Keep at least 50 feet away (horizontally) from heat sources with temperatures of > 60o C.

Additional Pure units:

Install additional Pure Skies units either on a wall or a pole (hardware provided). Recommended installation height is 3-5 feet above the floor in homes and offices, or 12-15 feet height above the floor in factories.

Indoor air quality monitors:

Install at a height of 8-12 feet above the floor and at least 10 feet (horizontally) from areas with heavy traffic, fumes (e.g. kitchen fumes), HVAC inlets or outlets, exhaust fans. Air quality monitors are very sensitive and quickly detect carbon dioxide from the breath of someone sitting or standing under the monitor, leading to spurious or misleading readings.

In factories, air quality monitors should be installed at a height of 8-12 feet above the floor and at least 30 feet (horizontally) from welding bays or heavy pollution sources.

Outdoor air quality monitors:

Install at a height of 12-15 feet above the ground and minimum 30 feet distance away (horizontally) from roads, chimneys/stacks, or heavy pollution sources.

Who is responsible for the security of the Pure Skies equipment?

Our installation team will recommend locations at your site to ensure optimal function. However, security of Pure Skies equipment once it reaches your site is the responsibility of the customer. Please ensure that units are in well-lit areas. Consider CCTV coverage if required.

The Pure Skies unit will send an SMS alert to you or to designated staff in case of movement or power failure. Extender units and air quality monitors currently do not have this feature.

What are the power requirements?

POWER REQUIREMENT	Power consumption	5 W
	Mains Supply	100v – 230v AC, 50/60 Hz
	Input Voltage	12v DC

What infrastructure is required to install Pure Skies?

Pure Skies Unit

Preferred Mounting	Rooftop - open to surroundings on all sides. Pole or Wall - open to surroundings
Installation Height	Maximum height available at the customer site but away from heat sources such as kilns or stacks 12-15 feet (4-6 meters) when mounted on pole or walls around the premises
Power Supply	Consistent AC supply should be made available within 1-metre range from the unit. Adequate grounding to earth to be provided by a qualified electrician.
Air Quality Monitors (pre-certified 3^rd party device)
Preferred Mounting	Pole or Wall - open to surroundings. Away from trees & obstructions
Installation Height	12-15 feet (4-6 meters)
Power Supply	Consistent AC supply should be made available within a 1 metre range from the unit* Adequate grounding to earth to be provided by a qualified electrician.
Network Availability	Must be placed in a location with good Wi-Fi and mobile data connectivity

Third Party Air Quality Monitor

IoT (pre-certified 3^rd party device)
Power Supply	Consistent AC supply should be made available within 1-metre range from the unit Adequate grounding to earth to be provided by a qualified electrician.
Network Availability	Must be placed in a location with good mobile data connectivity.
* The outdoor air quality monitors from Oizom, Devic Earth’s monitoring partner, have the option of solar panels and batteries for power. However, connection to the mains is recommended to ensure 24x7 power during cloudy conditions.

Where should Pure Skies not be installed?

No technology can do everything. Pure Skies does not work on the following:

Large dust particles, such as from a dust storm or coke particles. From an industry perspective, large dust particles tend to settle locally (within the plant itself, except during strong winds) and can be managed with good plant hygiene: water spraying, covering the materials handling and transport areas, etc.

The smaller components of dust (PM10, PM2.5) are hazardous to worker and public health and are effectively reduced by Pure Skies.

Welding fumes or smoke from burning firecrackers or wood, forest fires, open garbage, or debris. However, once the fumes or smoke disperses into the surrounding air, Pure Skies takes effect and reduces PM10, PM2.5, and other target pollutants - by a minimum 33%.
Emissions within a flue stack or tail pipe. These gases are at very high temperature and move at a high velocity. Dry deposition plays no role in this environment. Once the emitted gases disperse into the atmosphere, however, Pure Skies will take effect.
Paint spray. Pure Skies does not affect paint finish in industrial or commercial applications.
Ground level ozone is not affected.

Effect of humidity: High humidity levels (> 75-80% relatively humidity or rH), will reduce Pure Skies efficacy by about 10%. This is due to a reduction in radio wave propagation in conditions of high humidity.

Effect of temperature: Low temperatures < 10o C reduce Pure Skies efficacy by about 10-15%. This is due to 1) Increased pollution carrying capacity of the atmosphere at low temperatures; and 2) Effect of temperature inversion on ambient pollutant levels.

Time requirements: Pure Skies does not work immediately. Improvements in indoor or outdoor air quality take 2-3 days minimum to take effect, depending on the area of the property to be covered and local conditions.

After installation, what happens next?

During installation, Devic Earth’s technician(s) will:

Install and power on all equipment
Test all equipment for adequate network connectivity
Share log in credentials with you or your designated staff
Provide warranty card, instruction manual, and customer feedback form (Feedback is the breakfast of champions!)

After installation, a member of our team will contact you to:

Provide online training for the dashboard
Configure the motion sensor in the base station to alert you or your designated staff by SMS in case of movement or power failure

During week 1, baseline measurements of air quality at your location (with Pure Skies off) will take place. A baseline air quality report will be sent to you.

Once a stable baseline is established, Pure Skies will be powered on remotely. Air quality will start to improve in 2-4 days for outdoors, and sooner for indoor installations. Periodic reports will be sent to you at the end of week 2-3, then monthly thereafter.

During subsequent weeks, air quality will progressively improve, reaching a maximum benefit after 8 weeks (assuming no change in season).

Are there any effects on operations in my plant or office?

No. The safety profile of Pure Skies is similar to Wi-Fi.

Pure Skies will not affect operations inside a factory, industry, office or commercial space, or home. In addition, there is no effect on industrial processes such as painting, buffing, or finishing. We have several use cases in this regard.

Will Pure Skies interfere with my existing Wi-Fi network?

No. Formal laboratory testing confirms this.

Pure Skies operates on a pulsed radio wave frequency in the WI-Fi spectrum, whereas routine Wi-Fi transmits continuously. This basic difference ensures that there is no effect on performance of the Wi-Fi network.

Can Pure Skies remove pollen or other allergens?

No. The effect of Pure Skies is very size dependent – only particle pollutants (and some gases as aerosols) less than 20-30 microns in diameter. Pollen, pet dander, dust mites, cockroach excreta (yuck), and other common airborne allergens are usually larger than this (or have components that are larger than this) and are therefore not cleared by Pure Skies.

If your concern is allergens due to asthma, you’re best bet is: 1) Minimize exposure to triggers; and 2) Get a HEPA based air purifier for your home and/or office.

Can Pure Skies be used in clean rooms?

No. Pure Skies works by using pulsed radio waves in the Wi-Fi spectrum to create a weak electromagnetic field. This causes the positive and negative charges that are present in particle pollutants to shift slightly (dielectric effect) so that, like little magnets, they move a bit faster, collide, and settle out of the atmosphere onto the ground.

Clean rooms require complete removal of dust and other particles. A HEPA based filtration system, often combined with an ESP, is the best choice here.

Can Pure Skies reduce odours?

Generally, no. While it’s true that some odour causing amines and other smelly compounds adhere to PM2.5 and can be cleared with Pure Skies, there are just too many chemical compounds that cause odour for us to make a reliable claim.

Can Pure Skies reduce mosquitoes?

No. We get this question all the time! (Think dengue) But no. Use mosquito repellents with DEET, install plug in chemical mosquito repellents, wear long pants and full sleeve shirts during dawn and dusk, and remove stagnant water sources around your home or office where mosquitoes breed.

Does re-suspension of dust occur with Pure Skies?

We have not observed resuspension of dust both in the lab and in field settings. This is likely due to the limitation of our pulsed radio wave technology on particles < 20-30 microns in size, rather than visible (larger) dust which is easily re-suspended by wind or vehicle traffic and scattered into smaller subcomponents.

What maintenance is required? Are there any consumables?

Maintenance for Pure Skies (our air pollution control equipment):

The air pollution control unit (Pure Skies) is very robust. The core technology is housed inside an IP65 enclosure (certified) and rarely needs maintenance except in areas where excess vibration occurs from nearby machinery or vehicles.

The UPS batteries in the base station must be changed every 2-3 years (cost Rs. 6000/ for BIS certified UPS). The IoT hardware must be changed every 5 years (cost Rs. 6,000-8,000). The UPS and IoT hardware costs are not included in the AMC. Software updates are sent over the air and are included in the AMC.

No consumables apart from spares are required.

Maintenance for air quality monitors (provided by a third party):

The air quality monitor(s) that come with every Pure Skies system[1] needs regular maintenance to ensure optimal function. Online calibration is done regularly by the manufacturer.

For air quality monitors in homes or most indoor locations:

The air quality monitor must be sent back to the manufacturer for replacement of the sensors, once each year. The cost for replacement sensors is included in the AMC. Cost of one-way shipping the air quality monitor to the manufacturer is borne by the customer.

For outdoor air quality monitors, or indoor monitors in industrial locations:

Manual cleaning, calibration, and/or change of sensors within the monitor are done annually by a trained technician who visits your site. Cost of the sensors is included in the AMC.

How much does maintenance cost?

For sales, the annual maintenance contract (AMC) is approximately 10-15% of product cost, depending on the configuration purchased. The AMC covers the cost of replacement sensors for the air quality monitor, 24x7 monitoring of your air quality by our engineers, regular reporting by our data analysis, online dashboard, server costs, and service/technician costs (the latter for industrial customers).

[1] Devic Earth does not provide its own air quality monitors. Instead, we have selected carefully chosen third party manufacturers of air quality monitors which we have vetted and found to be highly accurate.

AMC does not include replacement or repair of components of the air quality monitor apart from sensors. Nor does the AMC cover costs for repair of breakage of the monitor due to rough handling, theft, or misuse. These components are charged as per actuals.

For subscriptions, all maintenance and service, including spares, is included in the subscription price.

What warranty is provided?

For sales, a one-year warranty for the Pure Skies unit, the extender(s) (if included), and air quality monitor(s) is provided. This is followed by a mandatory AMC which is billed annually.

For subscriptions, all maintenance and service, including spares, is included in the subscription price.

Are there any harmful effects on humans, or on the environment?

No. Pure Skies is tested and certified to meet national and international standards for products which use radiofrequency energy (including Wi-Fi) for non-telecommunication purposes (e.g. like an MRI scanner).

Prior to commercial release, Pure Skies was extensively tested for safety by Devic Earth’s co-founder, Dr. Srikanth Sola, and his team at a large tertiary care hospital from 2008-2018. No adverse effects have been found in infants, children, adults, certain animals (rock bees, migratory birds, fruit bats, and others), water quality in water bodies or bore wells, agricultural output, landscaping, bacteria, or fungi.

What happens to the pollutants when they are removed by Pure Skies?

A. Pure Skies works by accelerating dry deposition. In nature, these particles agglomerate and settle out of the atmosphere onto the ground or on vegetation. There is no visible dust or layer of pollutants because: 1) Pure Skies affects only microscopic (not visible to the naked eye) pollutants; and 2) These pollutants are present in the parts per million or sometimes parts per billion concentration – too few to be visible.

In which situations should Pure Skies not be used?

Pure Skies is not designed, manufactured, or intended for use in:

Hazardous or critical environments
Activities requiring emergency or fail-safe operation such as nuclear power plants

Any other applications or activities in which failure of the product may pose the risk of environmental harm or physical injury or death to humans – so called DANGEROUS APPLICATIONS. This includes but is not limited to:
- Emissions from fires (natural or human-made)
- Explosions
- Spillage of chemicals, oil, or other hazardous products
- Accidents from factories or other businesses
- Fumes from chemical or other manufacturing processes or ionizing radiation.

Devic Earth Pvt. Ltd. specifically disclaims any liabilities or warranties for any use of the product by purchaser for dangerous applications.

In the event that a hazardous or critical event were to occur in a location where Pure Skies is installed, we will remotely turn off the Pure Skies unit until the situation has been stabilized.

What is the lifetime of Pure Skies?

For purposes of depreciation, the air pollution equipment is rated to last 4-5 years with routine maintenance. Longevity of the core technology is 10+ years, based on actual testing since 2008.

What is the depreciation of Pure Skies?

Depreciation is 20% per year based on a lifetime of 5 years and a classification as Plant & Machinery.

If I take a subscription plan, who owns the equipment?

The subscription plan is like a lease, except that all maintenance and spares are included (i.e. a comprehensive maintenance plan). The equipment is owned by Devic Earth, and depreciation cannot be taken. Devic Earth takes the responsibility of equipment maintenance.

How much is the AMC?

AMC ranges from 12% per year for smaller indoor units and up to 15% per year for large indoor or the outdoor units.

Frequently Asked Questions | FAQ's

INSTALLATION