If you live in a newer home in Wilmington, it was likely built with energy efficiency as a priority. This means greater amounts of insulation and windows and doors with enhanced seals. While these enhancements are good for keeping your heating and cooling costs economical, 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 receiving adequate filtration. This type only delivers the smallest amount of protection by blocking dust from infiltrating your HVAC system.
While you can install a pleated filter or one with a higher MERV rating, it still might not be ample filtration, especially if someone in your residence has allergies or other respiratory troubles.
That’s where a whole-house air purifier can be a good option. These systems are placed within ductwork to provide mighty filtration throughout your residence. Depending on the type you select, you’ll be able to filter allergens, odors and even some viruses under certain airflow conditions.
Here are our favorite systems 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 the best filtration. These filters were first made to defend scientists as they made 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 method. A prefilter attracts larger irritants before the HEPA filter traps the remainder of miniscule particles. Then, a charcoal filter takes care of odors and chemical vapors.
The PureAir™ S Air Purification System is compatible with all HVAC brands and smoothly connects with your smart home. It combats the three major kinds of indoor air pollutants:
- 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 capable of decreasing or eliminating 90%1 of flu and cold viruses under certain airflow conditions. And, based on laboratory and field studies, it reduces and eliminates approximately 50% of residential odors and chemical vapors within 24 hours.
The PureAir S is equipped with sensing features that make it easy to service. When paired 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 used 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 work with your needs. This rating measures how effective filters are at removing contaminants. The higher the number, the finer 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, as it has a MERV 16 rating for hospital-strength filtration. And it removes more than 95%3 of aggravating particles from your home’s air.
The Healthy Climate 13 Media Air Cleaner is great 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 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 residences 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 offer this effective filtration without increasing the bill for using your HVAC system.
These three media air cleaners can be used with any brand of HVAC system. Regardless, it’s essential to be aware that some of the more substantial ones, including MERV 16 and 13, may limit your system’s airflow. This can increase your utility bills.
3. UV Air Purifiers
The sun’s UV rays are the fault of why you get a painful sunburn. But this type of light has a beneficial application when installed inside your ductwork. It’s also strong enough to eliminate germs, mold and fungi under certain airflow conditions.
In actuality, the Healthy Climate UV Germicidal Light can decrease the concentration of airborne microorganisms by 50% in as fast as 45 minutes.5 This light destroys cell structure, which prohibits these microorganisms from flourishing and spreading across your home.
And this UV air purifier can also help keep your HVAC system clean and running efficiently. It takes care of germs, mold and fungi lurking within ductwork and your system itself. This UV light air purifier achieves all these tasks without creating lung-aggravating ozone.6
Breathe Easier with the Help of Our Air Purification Professionals
Your loved ones’ comfort and health matters to us at Ambience HVAC, Inc.. We realize there are many possibilities out there. That’s why we make it easy to work with our indoor air quality professionals. We specialize in recommending solutions that meet your needs and budget, and we’d love to hear more about your residence and your air quality challenges. Reach us at 302-239-HVAC (4822) 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.