If you live in a newer house in Big Spring, it was in all likelihood constructed with energy efficiency as a priority. This means increased insulation and windows and doors with enhanced seals. While these improvements are fantastic for keeping your heating and cooling expenses in check, they’re not so fantastic 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 getting adequate filtration. This model only delivers the smallest amount of protection by stopping dust from getting into your home comfort system.
While you can upgrade to a pleated filter or one with a higher MERV rating, it still might not be enough filtration, especially if someone in your residence has allergies or other respiratory troubles.
That’s where a whole-house air purifier comes in. These systems are installed within ductwork to provide strong filtration across your house. Depending on the model you choose, you’ll be able to remove allergens, odors and even some viruses under certain airflow conditions.
Here are our favorite 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, provides the best filtration. These filters were first made to protect scientists as they created the atomic bomb. Today, they’re essential in hospitals and other medical operations.
The Healthy Climate HEPA Filtration System has a three-step filtration process. A prefilter draws significant particles before the HEPA filter traps the remainder of smaller particles. Then, a charcoal filter eradicates odors and chemical vapors.
The PureAir™ S Air Purification System works with all HVAC brands and seamlessly links to your smart home. It reduces the three leading varieties of indoor air pollutants:
- 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 potent at removing or eliminating 90%1 of flu and cold viruses under certain airflow conditions. And, as the result of laboratory and field studies, it reduces and eradicates approximately 50% of residential odors and chemical vapors within 24 hours.
The PureAir S comes with sensing features that make it easy to maintain. When used 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 fit your needs. This rating determines how good filters are at removing contaminants. The greater 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 gets rid of more than 95%3 of unhealthy particles from your house’s air.
The Healthy Climate 13 Media Air Cleaner is suggested for homes who are seeking enhanced protection from viruses and bacteria. This filter traps 99% of larger particles such as 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 homes with pets. It catches 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 deliver this effective filtration without driving up the cost of turning on your home comfort system.
These three media air cleaners are compatible with any brand of HVAC system. Regardless, it’s important to be aware that some of the denser ones, like MERV 16 and 13, may limit your system’s airflow. This can hike up your heating and cooling bills.
3. UV Air Purifiers
The sun’s UV rays are to blame when you get a blistering sunburn. But this type of light has a helpful application when installed inside your ductwork. It’s also tough enough to reduce germs, mold and fungi under certain airflow conditions.
In fact, the Healthy Climate UV Germicidal Light can reduce the concentration of airborne microorganisms by 50% in as little as 45 minutes.5 This light wrecks cell structure, which prohibits these microorganisms from multiplying and spreading throughout your home.
And this UV air purifier can also help keep your heating and cooling system clean and operating properly. It takes care of germs, mold and fungi that are hidden inside ductwork and your system itself. This UV light air purifier does all these tasks without developing lung-aggravating ozone.6
Breathe Healthier Air with the Support of Our Air Purification Specialists
Your family’s comfort and health is important to us at SKC AC LLC. We are aware there are many possibilities out there. That’s why we make it uncomplicated to work with our indoor air quality specialists. We specialize in making solutions that match your needs and budget, and we’d love to hear more about your residence and your air quality challenges. Call us at 432-203-4881 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.