If you own a newly built residence in York, it was in all likelihood built with energy efficiency at the top of the list. This means more insulation and windows and doors with better seals. While these enhancements are good for keeping your utility expenses reasonable, they’re not so fantastic 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 enough filtration. This type only delivers the lowest level of protection by stopping dust from getting into your HVAC system.
While you can install a pleated filter or one with a higher MERV rating, it still might not be adequate filtration, especially if someone in your home has allergies or other respiratory problems.
That’s where a whole-house air purifier comes in. These systems are attached within ductwork to provide strong filtration around your house. Depending on the type you select, 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, provides premium filtration. These filters were first developed to protect scientists as they developed the atomic bomb. Today, they’re a staple in hospitals and other medical settings.
The Healthy Climate HEPA Filtration System includes a three-step filtration process. A prefilter draws bigger particles before the HEPA filter captures the rest of miniscule particles. Then, a charcoal filter eradicates odors and chemical vapors.
The PureAir™ S Air Purification System is compatible with all HVAC brands and easily connects with your smart home. It fights the three key kinds 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, including mold spores, pollen, dust and pet dander. It’s also potent at decreasing or eradicating 90%1 of flu and cold viruses under certain airflow conditions. And, according to laboratory and field studies, it removes and eradicates approximately 50% of your home’s odors and chemical vapors within 24 hours.
The PureAir S includes sensing features that make it uncomplicated to keep up. When linked with an iComfort® S30 smart thermostat, you’ll get a notification 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 match your needs. This rating measures how good filters are at removing contaminants. The greater the number, the better the filtration.
The Healthy Climate Carbon Clean 16® Media Air Cleaner is ideal for homes with allergy suffers and pets. This is a HEPA filter air purifier, because it has a MERV 16 rating for hospital-grade filtration. And it eliminates more than 95%3 of irritating particles from your home’s air.
The Healthy Climate 13 Media Air Cleaner is suggested for families who are seeking improved protection from viruses and bacteria. This filter catches 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 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 smaller ones down to 0.3 microns.4 It’s able to provide this strong filtration without driving up the price of using your heating and cooling system.
These three media air cleaners are compatible with any brand of HVAC system. Regardless, it’s critical to realize that some of the more substantial ones, like MERV 16 and 13, may restrict your system’s airflow. This can increase your heating and cooling expenses.
3. UV Air Purifiers
The sun’s UV rays are the reason why you get a painful sunburn. But this kind of light has a beneficial application when placed inside your ductwork. It’s also tough enough to reduce germs, mold and fungi under certain airflow conditions.
In reality, the Healthy Climate UV Germicidal Light can decrease the number of airborne microorganisms by 50% in as fast as 45 minutes.5 This light destroys cell structure, which stops these microorganisms from growing and spreading across your residence.
And this UV air purifier can also help keep your HVAC system clean and running like it should. It eliminates of germs, mold and fungi that are hidden inside 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 Assistance of Our Air Purification Professionals
Your loved ones’ comfort and health matters to us at Strine's. We realize there are a lot of options out there. That’s why we make it uncomplicated to partner 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 residence and your air quality problems. Give us a call at 717-383-4479 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.