If you live in a newly constructed residence in Northridge, it was in all likelihood made with energy efficiency at the top of the list. This means more insulation and windows and doors with improved seals. While these advances are fantastic for keeping your energy expenses affordable, they’re not so good for your indoor air quality.
Your HVAC system needs to operate with a filter. But if you have a flat filter, you won’t be experiencing enough filtration. This kind only provides the bare minimum of protection by blocking dust from infiltrating your HVAC system.
While you can upgrade to a pleated filter or one with a increased MERV rating, it still might not be adequate filtration, even more so if someone in your house has allergies or other respiratory troubles.
That’s where a whole-house air purifier can be a great solution. These systems are attached within ductwork to provide strong filtration throughout your home. Depending on the type you go with, you’ll be able to filter allergens, odors and even some viruses under certain airflow conditions.
Here are our top options from Lennox, an industry leader in air purification.
Best Air Purifiers from Lennox
1. HEPA Air Purifiers
A HEPA air purifier, like the Healthy Climate® High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filtration System, delivers premium filtration. These filters were first developed to guard scientists as they made the atomic bomb. Today, they’re essential in hospitals and other medical settings.
The Healthy Climate HEPA Filtration System includes a three-step filtration process. A prefilter draws significant particles before the HEPA filter catches remaining miniscule irritants. Then, a charcoal filter wipes out odors and chemical vapors.
The PureAir™ S Air Purification System is compatible with all HVAC brands and smoothly integrates with your smart home. It combats the three key varieties of indoor air contaminants:
- Airborne particles
- Chemical odors and vapors
- Germs and bacteria, under certain airflow conditions
This air purifier can eliminate 99.9%* of pollutants, like mold spores, pollen, dust and pet dander. It’s also effective at removing or destroying 90%1 of flu and cold viruses under certain airflow conditions. And, based on laboratory and field studies, it reduces and destroys approximately 50% of your home’s odors and chemical vapors within 24 hours.
The PureAir S includes sensing features that make it uncomplicated to service. When used with an iComfort® S30 smart thermostat, you’ll be notified when to change the filter and UVA light.2 This home air purifier must be used with communicating Lennox systems and the iComfort S30.
2. Media Air Cleaners
Lennox Healthy Climate® Media Air Cleaners come in in a variety of MERV ratings to fit your needs. This rating measures how effective filters are at removing contaminants. The better the number, the finer the filtration.
The Healthy Climate Carbon Clean 16® Media Air Cleaner is recommended for households with allergy suffers and pets. This is a HEPA filter air purifier, as it has a MERV 16 rating for hospital-grade filtration. And it eliminates more than 95%3 of irritating particles from your house’s air.
The Healthy Climate 13 Media Air Cleaner is recommended for homes who are looking for enhanced protection from viruses and bacteria. This filter traps 99% of larger particles including dust, pollen and lint. And up to 54% of smaller particles down to 0.3 microns.4
The Healthy Climate 11 Media Air Cleaner is a an excellent air purifier for allergies and in residences with pets. It removes more than 87% of bigger particles down to 3 microns and more than 28% of finer ones down to 0.3 microns.4 It’s able to provide this strong filtration without driving up the cost of operating your heating and cooling system.
These three media air cleaners can be used with any brand of HVAC system. But despite that, it’s critical to be aware that some of the more substantial ones, such as MERV 16 and 13, may restrict your system’s airflow. This can increase your utility bills.
3. UV Air Purifiers
The sun’s UV rays are the reason why you get a stinging sunburn. But this kind of light has a helpful application when installed in your ductwork. It’s also powerful enough to decrease germs, mold and fungi under certain airflow conditions.
In reality, the Healthy Climate UV Germicidal Light can lower the amount of airborne microorganisms by 50% in as short as 45 minutes.5 This light destroys cell structure, which halts these microorganisms from growing and spreading throughout your residence.
And this UV air purifier can also help keep your heating and cooling system clean and running properly. It takes care of germs, mold and fungi that are hidden within ductwork and your system itself. This UV light air purifier accomplishes all this work without developing lung-inflaming ozone.6
Breathe Easier with the Help of Our Air Purification Pros
Your loved ones’ comfort and health is important to us at Enertek Air Conditioning & Heating. We realize there are a lot of solutions out there. That’s why we make it simple to work with our indoor air quality specialists. We specialize in making solutions that meet your needs and budget, and we’d love to hear more about your residence and your air quality problems. Reach us at (818) 727-9993 today to start the process.
1Based on laboratory and field studies.
2PureAir™ S requires the iComfort® S30 and a communicating indoor unit.
3Leading consumer magazine, January 2012. Based on the published CADR, which is the standardized measurement system to determine the cubic feet of clean air produced per minute. Particles captured range in size down to 0.3 micron. One micron = 1/25,000 of an inch in diameter.
4Based on lab tests conducted on filters with conditions included in ASHRAE standard 52.2 for E1 and E3 size ranges.
5Based on constant circulation of air in the home, 3,000-square-foot home with a 5-ton air handler.
6U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Ozone Generators that are Sold as Air Cleaners: An Assessment of Effective and Health Consequences,” August 2006.
