If you have a newer home in Frederick, it was in all likelihood made with energy efficiency in mind. This means increased insulation and windows and doors with better seals. While these improvements are great for keeping your utility expenses economical, they’re not so excellent 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 getting ample filtration. This model only delivers the bare minimum of protection by blocking dust from infiltrating your HVAC system.
While you can install a pleated filter or one with a increased MERV rating, it still might not be enough filtration, particularly if someone in your home has allergies or other respiratory problems.
That’s where a whole-house air purifier can be a great solution. These systems are installed within ductwork to provide effective filtration around your house. Depending on the model you go with, you’ll be able to remove 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, provides the best filtration. These filters were first created to guard scientists as they created the atomic bomb. Today, they’re necessary in hospitals and other medical buildings.
The Healthy Climate HEPA Filtration System features a three-step filtration method. A prefilter draws larger particles before the HEPA filter captures the rest of tiny pollutants. Then, a charcoal filter takes care of odors and chemical vapors.
The PureAir™ S Air Purification System works with all HVAC brands and smoothly links to your smart home. It fights the three major varieties of indoor air contaminants:
- Airborne particles
- Chemical odors and vapors
- Germs and bacteria, under certain airflow conditions
This air purifier can remove 99.9%* of pollutants, like mold spores, pollen, dust and pet dander. It’s also effective at reducing or eliminating 90%1 of flu and cold viruses under certain airflow conditions. And, based on laboratory and field studies, it decreases and eliminates approximately 50% of household odors and chemical vapors within 24 hours.
The PureAir S is equipped with sensing features that make it simple to service. When linked with an iComfort® S30 smart thermostat, you’ll receive an alert to install a new 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 good filters are at trapping contaminants. The greater 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-strength filtration. And it gets rid of more than 95%3 of unhealthy particles from your home’s air.
The Healthy Climate 13 Media Air Cleaner is great for households who are seeking stronger protection from viruses and bacteria. This filter removes 99% of larger particles like dust, pollen and lint. And up to 54% of finer particles down to 0.3 microns.4
The Healthy Climate 11 Media Air Cleaner is a a great air purifier for allergies and in homes with pets. It catches 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 offer this effective filtration without increasing the price of using your heating and cooling system.
These three media air cleaners work with any brand of HVAC system. Regardless, it’s important to know that some of the thicker ones, including MERV 16 and 13, may limit your system’s airflow. This can increase your energy bills.
3. UV Air Purifiers
The sun’s UV rays are the fault of why you get a blistering sunburn. But this wavelength of light has a beneficial application when placed within your ductwork. It’s also powerful enough to eliminate germs, mold and fungi under certain airflow conditions.
In reality, the Healthy Climate UV Germicidal Light can reduce the amount of airborne microorganisms by 50% in as little as 45 minutes.5 This light damages cell structure, which stops these microorganisms from multiplying and moving around your home.
And this UV air purifier can also help keep your home comfort system clean and working properly. It takes care of germs, mold and fungi lurking within ductwork and your system itself. This UV light air purifier does all these tasks without creating lung-aggravating ozone.6
Breathe Easier with the Help of Our Air Purification Specialists
Your household’s comfort and health matters to us at May's Heating & Air. We know there are lots of solutions out there. That’s why we make it simple to partner with our indoor air quality specialists. We specialize in recommending solutions that match your needs and budget, and we’d love to learn more about your home and your air quality issues. Reach us at 301-690-0397 today to begin.
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.