If you have a newly constructed residence in Phoenix, it was likely made with energy efficiency in mind. This means greater amounts of insulation and windows and doors with enhanced seals. While these advances are fantastic for keeping your energy costs economical, they’re not so good for your indoor air quality.
Your HVAC system needs to run with a filter. But if you’re using a flat filter, you won’t be experiencing ample filtration. This style only gives the bare minimum of protection by stopping dust from getting into 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 adequate 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 installed within ductwork to provide mighty filtration around your home. Depending on the kind you select, you’ll be able to get rid of allergens, odors and even some viruses under certain airflow conditions.
Here are our favorite 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 top-of-the-line filtration. These filters were first made to shield scientists as they created the atomic bomb. Today, they’re must-have in hospitals and other medical operations.
The Healthy Climate HEPA Filtration System features a three-step filtration process. A prefilter catches larger particles before the HEPA filter captures remaining tiny irritants. Then, a charcoal filter wipes out odors and chemical vapors.
The PureAir™ S Air Purification System is compatible with all HVAC brands and seamlessly links to with your smart home. It fights the three major kinds of indoor air contaminants:
- Airborne particles
- Chemical odors and vapors
- Germs and bacteria, under certain airflow conditions
This air purifier can remove 99.9%* of pollutants, such as mold spores, pollen, dust and pet dander. It’s also potent at reducing or eradicating 90%1 of flu and cold viruses under certain airflow conditions. And, based on laboratory and field studies, it removes and eradicates approximately 50% of residential odors and chemical vapors within 24 hours.
The PureAir S is equipped with sensing features that make it easy to keep up. When linked with an iComfort® S30 smart thermostat, you’ll be notified when to replace 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 are made in a variety of MERV ratings to work with your needs. This rating measures how effective filters are at capturing contaminants. The higher the number, the greater the filtration.
The Healthy Climate Carbon Clean 16® Media Air Cleaner is recommended for households 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 eliminates more than 95%3 of aggravating particles from your house’s air.
The Healthy Climate 13 Media Air Cleaner is recommended for households who are looking for improved protection from viruses and bacteria. This filter catches 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 houses with pets. It removes 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 driving up the bill for turning on your heating and cooling system.
These three media air cleaners can be used with any brand of HVAC system. But despite that, it’s important to know that some of the thicker ones, including MERV 16 and 13, may limit your system’s airflow. This can increase your energy bills.
3. UV Air Purifiers
The sun’s UV rays are to the fault of you get a painful sunburn. But this kind of light has a helpful application when placed in your ductwork. It’s also tough enough to reduce germs, mold and fungi under certain airflow conditions.
In actuality, 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 prohibits these microorganisms from multiplying and moving throughout 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 hiding in ductwork and your system itself. This UV light air purifier accomplishes all these tasks without producing lung-aggravating ozone.6
Breathe Healthier Air with the Help of Our Air Purification Pros
Your loved ones’ comfort and health matters to us at Dial One Mears Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. We realize there are lots of options out there. That’s why we make it uncomplicated to collaborate with our indoor air quality pros. We specialize in making solutions tailored to your needs and budget, and we’d love to hear more about your house and your air quality challenges. Call us at 602-832-7808 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.