If you have a newly constructed home in Los Angeles, it was likely built with energy efficiency in mind. This means increased insulation and windows and doors with better seals. While these improvements are fantastic for keeping your utility bills affordable, they’re not so fantastic for your indoor air quality.
Your heating and cooling system needs to run with a filter. But if you have a flat filter, you won’t be getting enough filtration. This kind only gives the lowest level of protection by stopping dust from getting into your HVAC system.
While you can upgrade to a pleated filter or one with a better MERV rating, it still might not be adequate filtration, particularly if someone in your residence has allergies or other respiratory issues.
That’s where a whole-house air purifier can be a great solution. These systems are installed within ductwork to provide strong filtration throughout your home. Depending on the model you choose, you’ll be able to get rid of 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, provides top-of-the-line filtration. These filters were first created to guard scientists as they made the atomic bomb. Today, they’re essential in hospitals and other medical settings.
The Healthy Climate HEPA Filtration System features a three-step filtration method. A prefilter catches bigger pollutants before the HEPA filter traps remaining tiny particles. Then, a charcoal filter wipes out odors and chemical vapors.
The PureAir™ S Air Purification System works with all HVAC brands and seamlessly integrates with your smart home. It reduces the three major varieties 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, such as mold spores, pollen, dust and pet dander. It’s also effective at reducing or eradicating 90%1 of flu and cold viruses under certain airflow conditions. And, according to laboratory and field studies, it removes and eradicates approximately 50% of household odors and chemical vapors within 24 hours.
The PureAir S includes sensing features that make it simple to maintain. When used with an iComfort® S30 smart thermostat, you’ll get a notification to change 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 match your needs. This rating calculates how good filters are at capturing contaminants. The higher the number, the better the filtration.
The Healthy Climate Carbon Clean 16® Media Air Cleaner is ideal 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 removes more than 95%3 of irritating particles from your home’s air.
The Healthy Climate 13 Media Air Cleaner is suggested for homes who are looking for improved protection from viruses and bacteria. This filter removes 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 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 powerful filtration without increasing the cost of using your HVAC system.
These three media air cleaners work with any brand of HVAC system. However, it’s important to be aware that some of the more substantial ones, like MERV 16 and 13, may decrease your system’s airflow. This can inflate your heating and cooling 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 installed inside your ductwork. It’s also powerful enough to reduce germs, mold and fungi under certain airflow conditions.
In reality, the Healthy Climate UV Germicidal Light can decrease the concentration of airborne microorganisms by 50% in as short as 45 minutes.5 This light damages cell structure, which halts these microorganisms from flourishing and moving across your home.
And this UV air purifier can also help keep your home comfort system clean and working efficiently. 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 tasks without developing lung-irritating ozone.6
Breathe Easier with the Assistance of Our Air Purification Specialists
Your loved ones’ comfort and health matters to us at AZ Air Conditioning and Heating. We realize there are lots of options out there. That’s why we make it uncomplicated to partner with our indoor air quality specialists. We specialize in recommending solutions that match your needs and budget, and we’d love to learn more about your house and your air quality issues. Reach us at 800-296-5088 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.