If you have a newly constructed house in Central Point, it was probably built with energy efficiency at the top of the list. This means increased insulation and windows and doors with improved seals. While these advances are good for keeping your energy expenses under control, they’re not so excellent 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 experiencing enough filtration. This kind only delivers the smallest amount of protection by blocking dust from infiltrating your heating and cooling system.
While you can upgrade to a pleated filter or one with a increased MERV rating, it still might not be enough filtration, especially 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 provide powerful filtration throughout your house. Depending on the kind you choose, you’ll be able to get rid of allergens, odors and even some viruses under certain airflow conditions.
Here are our favorite 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, gives the best filtration. These filters were first created to protect scientists as they worked on the atomic bomb. Today, they’re a staple in hospitals and other medical facilities.
The Healthy Climate HEPA Filtration System features a three-step filtration procedure. A prefilter catches significant pollutants before the HEPA filter traps the remainder of tiny irritants. Then, a charcoal filter takes care of odors and chemical vapors.
The PureAir™ S Air Purification System works with all HVAC brands and easily connects with your smart home. It reduces the three key kinds of indoor air irritants:
- 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 removing or destroying 90%1 of flu and cold viruses under certain airflow conditions. And, according to laboratory and field studies, it reduces and eradicates approximately 50% of residential odors and chemical vapors within 24 hours.
The PureAir S includes sensing features that make it simple to service. When paired 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 linked 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 match your needs. This rating determines how good filters are at capturing contaminants. The higher the number, the finer the filtration.
The Healthy Climate Carbon Clean 16® Media Air Cleaner is great for families 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 house’s air.
The Healthy Climate 13 Media Air Cleaner is suggested for families who are looking for better protection from viruses and bacteria. This filter captures 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 an excellent air purifier for allergies and in homes with pets. It eliminates 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 deliver this strong filtration without running up the price of operating your heating and cooling system.
These three media air cleaners work 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 bills.
3. UV Air Purifiers
The sun’s UV rays are to blame when you get a stinging sunburn. But this type of light has a helpful application when placed within your ductwork. It’s also strong enough to reduce germs, mold and fungi under certain airflow conditions.
In fact, the Healthy Climate UV Germicidal Light can lower the amount of airborne microorganisms by 50% in as short as 45 minutes.5 This light damages cell structure, which prohibits 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 like it should. It wipes out of germs, mold and fungi lurking in ductwork and your system itself. This UV light air purifier does all this work without making lung-irritating ozone.6
Breathe Better with the Support of Our Air Purification Pros
Your family’s comfort and health matters to us at Titan Heating & Air Conditioning. 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 that fit your needs and budget, and we’d love to hear more about your home and your air quality problems. Give us a call at 541-286-6617 now 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.