If you live in a newly built home in Arlington, it was likely constructed with energy efficiency at the top of the list. This means increased insulation and windows and doors with better seals. While these improvements are great for keeping your heating and cooling costs in check, they’re not so great for your indoor air quality.
Your home comfort system needs to operate with a filter. But if you have a flat filter, you won’t be getting adequate filtration. This kind only gives the bare minimum of protection by blocking dust from infiltrating your HVAC system.
While you can install a pleated filter or one with a better MERV rating, it still might not be adequate filtration, even more so if someone in your residence has allergies or other respiratory problems.
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 residence. Depending on the type you choose, you’ll be able to remove allergens, odors and even some viruses under certain airflow conditions.
Here are our best 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 made the atomic bomb. Today, they’re a staple in hospitals and other medical operations.
The Healthy Climate HEPA Filtration System has a three-step filtration process. A prefilter catches larger particles before the HEPA filter catches the remainder of tiny pollutants. Then, a charcoal filter eradicates odors and chemical vapors.
The PureAir™ S Air Purification System works with all HVAC brands and smoothly connects with your smart home. It fights the three leading types of indoor air contaminants:
- Airborne particles
- Chemical odors and vapors
- Germs and bacteria, under certain airflow conditions
This air purifier can get rid of 99.9%* of pollutants, such as mold spores, pollen, dust and pet dander. It’s also capable of reducing or eliminating 90%1 of flu and cold viruses under certain airflow conditions. And, as the result of laboratory and field studies, it removes 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 maintain. When linked 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 installed with communicating Lennox systems and the iComfort S30.
2. Media Air Cleaners
Lennox Healthy Climate® Media Air Cleaners are made in a variety of MERV ratings to work with your needs. This rating determines how effective filters are at trapping contaminants. The greater the number, the better the filtration.
The Healthy Climate Carbon Clean 16® Media Air Cleaner is recommended for homes with allergy suffers and pets. This is a HEPA filter air purifier, because it has a MERV 16 rating for hospital-strength filtration. And it removes more than 95%3 of unhealthy particles from your home’s air.
The Healthy Climate 13 Media Air Cleaner is great for households who want stronger protection from viruses and bacteria. This filter removes 99% of larger particles like dust, pollen and lint. And up to 54% of miniscule particles down to 0.3 microns.4
The Healthy Climate 11 Media Air Cleaner is a a great air purifier for allergies and in residences with pets. It traps more than 87% of bigger particles down to 3 microns and more than 28% of smaller ones down to 0.3 microns.4 It’s able to offer this strong filtration without increasing the price of operating your heating and cooling system.
These three media air cleaners work with any brand of HVAC system. Regardless, it’s important to realize that some of the more substantial ones, like MERV 16 and 13, may limit your system’s airflow. This can increase your heating and cooling costs.
3. UV Air Purifiers
The sun’s UV rays are the reason why you get a blistering sunburn. But this kind of light has a beneficial application when concealed within your ductwork. It’s also tough enough to decrease 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 quickly as 45 minutes.5 This light wrecks cell structure, which stops these microorganisms from growing and moving around your home.
And this UV air purifier can also help keep your home comfort system clean and running properly. It takes care of germs, mold and fungi that are hidden in ductwork and your system itself. This UV light air purifier does all these things without developing lung-irritating ozone.6
Breathe Healthier Air with the Help of Our Air Purification Specialists
Your household’s comfort and health is important to us at Service Max Heating & Air Conditioning. We realize there are many possibilities out there. That’s why we make it simple to work with our indoor air quality pros. We specialize in recommending solutions tailored to your needs and budget, and we’d love to find out more about your home and your air quality challenges. Give us a call at 360-255-5857 today to get started.
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.