If you live in a newer house in Rio Grande Valley, it was in all likelihood built with energy efficiency as a priority. This means greater amounts of insulation and windows and doors with improved seals. While these improvements are good for keeping your energy costs reasonable, they’re not so fantastic for your indoor air quality.
Your HVAC system needs to operate with a filter. But if you have a flat filter, you won’t be experiencing enough filtration. This type only gives the lowest level of protection by keeping dust out of your home comfort 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 troubles.
That’s where a whole-house air purifier comes in. These systems are attached within ductwork to provide mighty filtration around your home. Depending on the type you choose, you’ll be able to filter allergens, odors and even some viruses under certain airflow conditions.
Here are our best 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, gives the best filtration. These filters were first made to guard scientists as they developed the atomic bomb. Today, they’re a staple in hospitals and other medical facilities.
The Healthy Climate HEPA Filtration System features a three-step filtration method. A prefilter attracts larger irritants before the HEPA filter traps remaining tiny particles. Then, a charcoal filter eradicates odors and chemical vapors.
The PureAir™ S Air Purification System works with all HVAC brands and smoothly works with your smart home. It reduces the three major types of indoor air irritants:
- 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 decreasing or eliminating 90%1 of flu and cold viruses under certain airflow conditions. And, according to laboratory and field studies, it reduces and destroys approximately 50% of residential odors and chemical vapors within 24 hours.
The PureAir S is equipped with sensing features that make it easy to maintain. When used with an iComfort® S30 smart thermostat, you’ll receive an alert to replace 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 available in a variety of MERV ratings to match your needs. This rating calculates how capable filters are at capturing contaminants. The higher the number, the greater the filtration.
The Healthy Climate Carbon Clean 16® Media Air Cleaner is great for families 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 unhealthy particles from your residence’s air.
The Healthy Climate 13 Media Air Cleaner is recommended for families who want enhanced protection from viruses and bacteria. This filter removes 99% of larger particles including 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 an excellent air purifier for allergies and in homes with pets. It traps 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 provide this strong filtration without driving up the bill for operating your HVAC system.
These three media air cleaners are compatible with any brand of HVAC system. But despite that, it’s important to realize that some of the thicker ones, such as MERV 16 and 13, may restrict your system’s airflow. This can increase your energy costs.
3. UV Air Purifiers
The sun’s UV rays are to blame when you get a stinging sunburn. But this wavelength of light has a helpful application when installed in your ductwork. It’s also tough enough to decrease germs, mold and fungi under certain airflow conditions.
In actuality, the Healthy Climate UV Germicidal Light can lower the number of airborne microorganisms by 50% in as little as 45 minutes.5 This light destroys cell structure, which halts these microorganisms from multiplying and infiltrating across your home.
And this UV air purifier can also help keep your HVAC 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 this work without creating lung-irritating ozone.6
Breathe Easier with the Help of Our Air Purification Professionals
Your family’s comfort and health is important to us at Cytech Heating & Cooling L.C.. We realize there are lots of possibilities out there. That’s why we make it simple to work with our indoor air quality pros. We specialize in creating solutions tailored to your needs and budget, and we’d love to hear more about your residence and your air quality problems. Reach us at 956-553-3265 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.