If you have a newer house in West Columbia, it was in all likelihood constructed with energy efficiency as a priority. This means more insulation and windows and doors with better seals. While these improvements are good for keeping your energy bill affordable, they’re not so good for your indoor air quality.
Your heating and cooling system needs to work with a filter. But if you rely on a flat filter, you won’t be getting ample filtration. This kind only delivers the smallest amount of protection by keeping dust out of your HVAC system.
While you can get a pleated filter or one with a better MERV rating, it still might not be enough filtration, particularly if someone in your house has allergies or other respiratory problems.
That’s where a whole-house air purifier comes in. These systems are placed within ductwork to deliver powerful filtration throughout your home. Depending on the kind you select, you’ll be able to get rid of 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, gives the best filtration. These filters were first created to guard scientists as they developed the atomic bomb. Today, they’re essential in hospitals and other medical facilities.
The Healthy Climate HEPA Filtration System has a three-step filtration process. A prefilter catches larger pollutants before the HEPA filter captures remaining tiny pollutants. Then, a charcoal filter wipes out odors and chemical vapors.
The PureAir™ S Air Purification System is compatible with all HVAC brands and smoothly connects with with your smart home. It fights the three major types of indoor air irritants:
- Airborne particles
- Chemical odors and vapors
- Germs and bacteria, under certain airflow conditions
This air purifier can eliminate 99.9%* of pollutants, such as mold spores, pollen, dust and pet dander. It’s also capable of reducing or destroying 90%1 of flu and cold viruses under certain airflow conditions. And, as the result of laboratory and field studies, it reduces and eradicates approximately 50% of residential odors and chemical vapors within 24 hours.
The PureAir S comes with sensing features that make it simple to serviced. When used with an iComfort® S30 smart thermostat, you’ll be notified when to install a new filter and UVA light.2 This home air purifier must be installed with communicating Lennox systems and the iComfort S30.
2. Media Air Cleaners
Lennox Healthy Climate® Media Air Cleaners are available in a variety of MERV ratings to fit your needs. This rating measures how effective filters are at capturing contaminants. The higher the number, the better the filtration.
The Healthy Climate Carbon Clean 16® Media Air Cleaner is ideal for households with allergy suffers and pets. This is a HEPA filter air purifier, since it has a MERV 16 rating for hospital-strength filtration. And it removes more than 95%3 of aggravating particles from your house’s air.
The Healthy Climate 13 Media Air Cleaner is suggested for households who want enhanced protection from viruses and bacteria. This filter traps 99% of larger particles including 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 miniscule ones down to 0.3 microns.4 It’s able to offer this strong filtration without increasing the bill for operating your home comfort system.
These three media air cleaners are compatible with any brand of HVAC system. Regardless, it’s critical to be aware that some of the thicker ones, such as MERV 16 and 13, may decrease your system’s airflow. This can inflate your energy bills.
3. UV Air Purifiers
The sun’s UV rays are to blame when you get a stinging sunburn. But this wavelength of light has a useful application when concealed within your ductwork. It’s also powerful enough to reduce germs, mold and fungi under certain airflow conditions.
In reality, the Healthy Climate UV Germicidal Light can reduce the number of airborne microorganisms by 50% in as little as 45 minutes.5 This light damages cell structure, which stops these microorganisms from multiplying and spreading across your home.
And this UV air purifier can also help keep your HVAC 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 does all these things without developing lung-inflaming ozone.6
Breathe Healthier Air with the Support of Our Air Purification Pros
Your family’s comfort and health is important to us at Tri City Fuel & Heating Co., Inc.. We know there are many solutions out there. That’s why we make it simple to collaborate with our indoor air quality specialists. We specialize in making solutions that match your needs and budget, and we’d love to learn more about your house and your air quality issues. Call us at 803-265-4208 right away 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.