If you live in a newly constructed residence in Rock Hill, it was likely built with energy efficiency at the top of the list. This means increased insulation and windows and doors with enhanced seals. While these improvements are good for keeping your energy bill under control, they’re not so fantastic for your indoor air quality.
Your home comfort system needs to run with a filter. But if you rely on a flat filter, you won’t be getting enough filtration. This type only delivers the lowest level of protection by stopping dust from getting into your home comfort system.
While you can upgrade to a pleated filter or one with a better MERV rating, it still might not be enough filtration, especially if someone in your house has allergies or other respiratory issues.
That’s where a whole-house air purifier comes in. These systems are installed within ductwork to deliver strong filtration across your residence. 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 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, gives premium filtration. These filters were first created to guard scientists as they made the atomic bomb. Today, they’re essential in hospitals and other medical applications.
The Healthy Climate HEPA Filtration System includes a three-step filtration process. A prefilter attracts significant pollutants before the HEPA filter catches remaining tiny particles. Then, a charcoal filter eradicates odors and chemical vapors.
The PureAir™ S Air Purification System is compatible with all HVAC brands and seamlessly integrates with your smart home. It reduces the three major types of indoor air pollutants:
- Airborne particles
- Chemical odors and vapors
- Germs and bacteria, under certain airflow conditions
This air purifier can eliminate 99.9%* of pollutants, like mold spores, pollen, dust and pet dander. It’s also capable of decreasing or destroying 90%1 of flu and cold viruses under certain airflow conditions. And, based on laboratory and field studies, it removes and eliminates approximately 50% of household odors and chemical vapors within 24 hours.
The PureAir S includes sensing features that make it uncomplicated to serviced. When linked with an iComfort® S30 smart thermostat, you’ll receive an alert to change the 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 are made in a variety of MERV ratings to fit your needs. This rating determines how good filters are at trapping contaminants. The higher the number, the greater 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, since it has a MERV 16 rating for hospital-strength filtration. And it gets rid of more than 95%3 of aggravating particles from your residence’s air.
The Healthy Climate 13 Media Air Cleaner is suggested for families who are seeking improved protection from viruses and bacteria. This filter traps 99% of larger particles like 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 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 offer this effective filtration without driving up the price of using your heating and cooling system.
These three media air cleaners work with any brand of HVAC system. But despite that, it’s important to realize that some of the thicker ones, like MERV 16 and 13, may limit your system’s airflow. This can hike up your energy bills.
3. UV Air Purifiers
The sun’s UV rays are to the reason why you get a painful sunburn. But this wavelength of light has a beneficial application when concealed in your ductwork. It’s also tough enough to decrease germs, mold and fungi under certain airflow conditions.
In reality, the Healthy Climate UV Germicidal Light can lower the amount of airborne microorganisms by 50% in as little 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 heating and cooling system clean and working properly. It takes care of germs, mold and fungi that are hidden within ductwork and your system itself. This UV light air purifier accomplishes all these things without developing lung-irritating ozone.6
Breathe Healthier Air with the Help of Our Air Purification Specialists
Your family’s comfort and health matters to us at US Air Heating and Cooling. We are aware there are lots of options out there. That’s why we make it easy to partner with our indoor air quality professionals. We specialize in recommending solutions that meet your needs and budget, and we’d love to learn more about your house and your air quality problems. Call us at 803-220-0761 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.