If you have a newly built home in Tucson, it was in all likelihood constructed with energy efficiency as a priority. This means increased insulation and windows and doors with better seals. While these enhancements are fantastic for keeping your energy expenses economical, they’re not so fantastic for your indoor air quality.
Your home comfort system needs to run with a filter. But if you have a flat filter, you won’t be experiencing enough filtration. This type only provides the lowest level of protection by stopping dust from getting into your heating and cooling system.
While you can install a pleated filter or one with a higher MERV rating, it still might not be enough filtration, particularly if someone in your home has allergies or other respiratory problems.
That’s where a whole-house air purifier can be a good option. These systems are installed within ductwork to provide effective filtration across your residence. Depending on the model you select, you’ll be able to remove allergens, odors and even some viruses under certain airflow conditions.
Here are our best solutions 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 shield scientists as they made the atomic bomb. Today, they’re necessary in hospitals and other medical buildings.
The Healthy Climate HEPA Filtration System includes a three-step filtration method. A prefilter attracts bigger particles before the HEPA filter traps the remainder of 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 seamlessly connects with your smart home. It reduces the three leading varieties 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 capable of reducing or destroying 90%1 of flu and cold viruses under certain airflow conditions. And, as the result of laboratory and field studies, it reduces and destroys approximately 50% of household odors and chemical vapors within 24 hours.
The PureAir S comes with sensing features that make it easy to maintain. When linked with an iComfort® S30 smart thermostat, you’ll get a notification to replace 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 work with your needs. This rating determines how effective filters are at removing contaminants. The higher the number, the greater the filtration.
The Healthy Climate Carbon Clean 16® Media Air Cleaner is great for residences 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 irritating particles from your home’s air.
The Healthy Climate 13 Media Air Cleaner is great for homes who want improved protection from viruses and bacteria. This filter catches 99% of larger particles such as 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 houses with pets. It eliminates more than 87% of bigger particles down to 3 microns and more than 28% of miniscule ones down to 0.3 microns.4 It’s able to offer this powerful filtration without running up the price of using your home comfort system.
These three media air cleaners are compatible with any brand of HVAC system. Regardless, it’s essential to realize that some of the denser ones, like MERV 16 and 13, may restrict your system’s airflow. This can hike up your energy bills.
3. UV Air Purifiers
The sun’s UV rays are the fault of why you get a stinging sunburn. But this kind of light has a beneficial application when concealed in your ductwork. It’s also strong enough to decrease germs, mold and fungi under certain airflow conditions.
In actuality, the Healthy Climate UV Germicidal Light can reduce the amount of airborne microorganisms by 50% in as fast as 45 minutes.5 This light destroys cell structure, which prohibits these microorganisms from growing and moving around your house.
And this UV air purifier can also help keep your heating and cooling system clean and working properly. It wipes out of germs, mold and fungi that are hidden in ductwork and your system itself. This UV light air purifier accomplishes all this work without producing lung-inflaming ozone.6
Breathe Better with the Support of Our Air Purification Professionals
Your family’s comfort and health is important to us at Ambient Air. We are aware there are many possibilities out there. That’s why we make it simple to work with our indoor air quality specialists. We specialize in creating solutions that match your needs and budget, and we’d love to find out more about your house and your air quality issues. Call us at 520-357-4912 today 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.