If you own a newer home in Marshalltown, it was likely built with energy efficiency in mind. This means more insulation and windows and doors with enhanced seals. While these improvements are great for keeping your heating and cooling bills economical, they’re not so good 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 receiving adequate filtration. This model only provides the smallest amount of protection by blocking dust from infiltrating your HVAC system.
While you can get a pleated filter or one with a increased MERV rating, it still might not be adequate filtration, particularly if someone in your residence has allergies or other respiratory problems.
That’s where a whole-house air purifier comes in. These systems are installed within ductwork to provide powerful filtration throughout your residence. 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 best styles 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 the best filtration. These filters were first created to defend scientists as they made 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 catches larger irritants before the HEPA filter traps remaining smaller particles. Then, a charcoal filter takes care of odors and chemical vapors.
The PureAir™ S Air Purification System connects to all HVAC brands and easily links to your smart home. It reduces the three key varieties 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 removing or eliminating 90%1 of flu and cold viruses under certain airflow conditions. And, based on laboratory and field studies, it decreases and destroys approximately 50% of household odors and chemical vapors within 24 hours.
The PureAir S comes with sensing features that make it simple to maintain. When paired with an iComfort® S30 smart thermostat, you’ll get a notification to install a new filter and UVA light.2 This home air purifier must be linked 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 determines how capable filters are at removing contaminants. The greater the number, the better the filtration.
The Healthy Climate Carbon Clean 16® Media Air Cleaner is great for homes 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 removes more than 95%3 of unhealthy particles from your house’s air.
The Healthy Climate 13 Media Air Cleaner is suggested for households who are looking for better protection from viruses and bacteria. This filter captures 99% of larger particles like 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 fantastic air purifier for allergies and in homes with pets. It removes 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 deliver this strong filtration without driving up the bill for operating your HVAC system.
These three media air cleaners are compatible with any brand of HVAC system. However, it’s important to be aware that some of the thicker ones, such as MERV 16 and 13, may restrict your system’s airflow. This can increase your energy costs.
3. UV Air Purifiers
The sun’s UV rays are to blame when you get a blistering sunburn. But this wavelength of light has a beneficial application when installed inside 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 decrease the amount of airborne microorganisms by 50% in as little as 45 minutes.5 This light destroys cell structure, which stops these microorganisms from multiplying and moving throughout your residence.
And this UV air purifier can also help keep your HVAC system clean and running efficiently. It takes care of germs, mold and fungi that are hidden inside ductwork and your system itself. This UV light air purifier achieves all these things without developing lung-inflaming ozone.6
Breathe Better with the Assistance of Our Air Purification Pros
Your family’s comfort and health matters to us at B & G HVAC. We realize there are many solutions out there. That’s why we make it simple to partner with our indoor air quality specialists. We specialize in developing solutions tailored to your needs and budget, and we’d love to learn more about your house and your air quality issues. Call us at 641-316-3360 right away 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.
