Air Purifiers

Air Purification Systems

Air purifiers play an important role in providing good air quality inside your home. Indoor Air Quality, referred to as IAQ, is the quality of the air in a home or building as it relates to the health and comfort of the residents or occupants.

The most effective air purification devices aka air purifier are designed to treat all of the air in the home. For that reason, they typically use the central air and heating system’s ductwork to clean the air in every room.

Studies have shown that a stand-alone room air purifier is ineffective because of the small volume of air it can treat. A whole home air purifier cleans a much higher volume of air, so no matter what room you are in, the air is being constantly cleaned.

Air Scrubber Plus & Electronic Air Cleaners

One type of air purifier we recommend to Magic Touch Mechanical clients is called an air scrubber. We prefer the Air Scrubber Plus, and REME HALO or APCO Fresh-Aire UV. We use air scrubbers / air purifiers in our own offices here in Mesa, AZ. In fact, we have several air purifiers installed in the different HVAC Systems in our building.

The difference is not only notable, it is downright impressive. So much so that, many of us have installed air purifiers in our own homes as well.

Air purification systems are electronically powered appliances that use ionization to remove unwanted particles from the air. Models like the Air Scrubber Plus use a method called corona discharge to ionize the air molecules. Larger particles such as pollutants, become ionized and the air purifier draws these charged particles down to two metal plates (one for negative charge, one for positive charge) and traps them there.

This method of purification removes smaller particles, such as gas and odor molecules, that would otherwise escape a standard filter. Air purifiers only require a small amount of electricity to run and will not place a large burden on your power bills.

Air Purifier & Air Filter All-In-One

Air purification alone is not enough to accomplish good IAQ. You need to have good air filtration as well. If you have central air and heating in your home, you already have some air filtration – although it may not be doing what you think it is.

Disposable filters like those found in a hardware store like Home Depot, are meant to keep your air conditioners evaporator coil clean. They are not very effective in providing clean air. That’s because they are designed to only trap very large contaminants in the air. Most contaminants pass right through disposable filters. In the HVAC industry we jokingly refer to these filters as rock-stoppers – because anything smaller than a rock will pass right through them.

 

Lennox Pure Air All-In-One

All-in-one systems like the Lennox Pure Air utilize both hospital-grade air filtration with PCO air purification and UV light. PCO (Photocatalytic Oxidation) and UV lights destroy harmful contaminants, and the filtration system traps particles before they can reenter the airstream.

One of the things we like about the Lennox Pure Air, and the main reason it’s one of the top-rated air filtration & air purification devices on the market, is the filter media it utilizes. This 4” thick (vs. a 1” thick disposable filter) is rated MERV 16.

MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value and measures the effectiveness of filter media. MERV 16 is effective at capturing very tiny contaminants such as; mold spores, dust, pet dander, bacteria, most smoke particles, insecticides, even droplet nuclei (a sneeze).

What Type of Air Purification System is Best?

First, there are considerations such as ozone-producing or non-ozone-producing. Note: The Air Scrubber Plus can be purchased either way (ozone or non-ozone). The REME HALO produces small amounts of ozone, and the APCO Fresh-Aire UV is certified “ozone-free.” The Lennox Pure Air, like the APCO, is only available in a non-ozone producing model. 

Ozone is good at destroying common household odors but is not recommended for people with certain lung diseases. Speak with your pulmonologist if you have lung disease or other breathing disorders. It may be best for some people to not only avoid ozone generators, but consider a device that actually destroys ozone like the Lennox Pure Air Purifier.

The other consideration is the application itself. If being installed at the same time the home HVAC system is being replaced, you will have more options. The Air Scrubber Plus, APCO Fresh-Aire UV, and REME HALO can typically be installed easily in an existing system, whereas the Lennox PureAir may not be cost effective to install in applications where the furnace needs to be removed and reinstalled.

Many Air Purifier Options

Of course, there are many options other than the Air Scrubber Plus, REME HALO, APCO Fresh-Aire UV and the Lennox Pure Air. These brands just happen to be very popular with our clients and are the most requested. 

While not every air purifier can live up to the claims their marketing departments make, these three can! 3rd-party clinical studies have demonstrated these devices kill viruses, bacteria and other dangerous contaminants. In fact, even dangerous contagions like MRSA & e-coli can be eradicated with an air purifier.

If you live within a 35-mile radius of Mesa, AZ and are interested in better IAQ, contact us today for a consultation.

Improve My Air Quality!

AIR PURIFIERS