If you live in a newly built house in Winnipeg, it was probably built with energy efficiency at the top of the list. This means greater amounts of insulation and windows and doors with better seals. While these advances are great for keeping your utility expenses reasonable, they’re not so excellent for your indoor air quality.
Your HVAC system needs to work with a filter. But if you’re using a flat filter, you won’t be experiencing adequate filtration. This model only provides the smallest amount of protection by keeping dust out of your heating and cooling system.
While you can install a pleated filter or one with a increased MERV rating, it still might not be enough filtration, particularly if someone in your house has allergies or other respiratory troubles.
That’s where a whole-house air purifier comes in. These systems are installed within ductwork to give mighty filtration across your residence. Depending on the type you go with, 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, delivers top-of-the-line filtration. These filters were first made to defend scientists as they created the atomic bomb. Today, they’re a staple in hospitals and other medical facilities.
The Healthy Climate HEPA Filtration System has a three-step filtration procedure. A prefilter attracts significant particles before the HEPA filter traps the rest of tiny irritants. Then, a charcoal filter eradicates odors and chemical vapors.
The PureAir™ S Air Purification System is compatible with all HVAC brands and easily links to with your smart home. It reduces the three key 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, like mold spores, pollen, dust and pet dander. It’s also capable of decreasing or eliminating 90%1 of flu and cold viruses under certain airflow conditions. And, based on laboratory and field studies, it reduces and eliminates approximately 50% of household odors and chemical vapors within 24 hours.
The PureAir S comes with sensing features that make it simple to keep up. When paired with an iComfort® S30 smart thermostat, you’ll get a notification to install a new filter and UVA light.2 This home air purifier must be linked 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 fit your needs. This rating calculates how capable filters are at removing contaminants. The better the number, the greater the filtration.
The Healthy Climate Carbon Clean 16® Media Air Cleaner is recommended for residences with allergy suffers and pets. This is a HEPA filter air purifier, because it has a MERV 16 rating for hospital-strength filtration. And it eliminates more than 95%3 of unhealthy particles from your home’s air.
The Healthy Climate 13 Media Air Cleaner is recommended for families who desire stronger protection from viruses and bacteria. This filter catches 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 residences with pets. It removes 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 deliver this strong filtration without driving up the cost of turning on your home comfort system.
These three media air cleaners can be used with any brand of HVAC system. But despite that, it’s essential to know that some of the more substantial ones, like MERV 16 and 13, may restrict your system’s airflow. This can hike up your heating and cooling expenses.
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 useful 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 reduce the concentration of airborne microorganisms by 50% in as fast as 45 minutes.5 This light damages cell structure, which halts these microorganisms from flourishing and spreading around your home.
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 lurking inside ductwork and your system itself. This UV light air purifier accomplishes all this work without making lung-inflaming ozone.6
Breathe Better with the Help of Our Air Purification Specialists
Your loved ones’ comfort and health is our top priority at Kirkfield Heating & Air Conditioning. We know there are lots of possibilities out there. That’s why we make it easy to collaborate with our indoor air quality professionals. We specialize in recommending solutions that fit your needs and budget, and we’d love to hear more about your residence and your air quality problems. Call us at 204-272-8128 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.