Single-room vs. whole-home air cleaners: Why it matters.

In the quest for cleaner, fresher air, two main types of air cleaners have become popular: single-room and whole-home.

How they work

Single-room air cleaners cover small areas

Single-room air cleaners are just like their name implies.  They’re small, portable, localized devices that are placed in individual rooms or areas to clean the air.  They usually incorporate a fan to move air, some kind of filter to remove particles, and often an electronic component that electronically charges the air to increase filtration.

Whole-home air cleaners are a more complete solution.

Whole-home air cleaners, on the other hand, are more of an “installed” solution, permanently integrated into the heating and air conditioning system in your home.  They rely on your furnace or air handler to move air through, instead of using their own fan.

Advantages of whole-home air cleaners

Whole-home air cleaners offer a serious advantage over single-room air cleaners because they affect all the air in your home.  Attaching an air-cleaning solution to your heating and cooling system will allow it to filter every bit of air in every room.

Disadvantages of portable air cleaners

A single-area air cleaner may solve air quality issues in one room, but your home heating and air-conditioning system is still going to be circulating air from that room throughout your home. So whatever air issue you’re facing in that one area will eventually spread to every other room.

Whole-home options

If you’re going with an installed, whole-home air cleaner, you have several options.

• Disposable filters: Most furnaces accept a 1” or 5” pleated or fiberglass filter that is thrown away when it becomes dirty.
• Washable filters: Usually made of foam or plastic fibers, these filters are washed when they become full of impurities.
• Electrostatic filters: Remove impurities from the air by putting an electric charge on them as they pass through the air cleaner, causing dirt and dust to stick to a collection area for later vacuuming or washing.
• UV lights: As air passes through your air cleaner, ultraviolet lights kill germs and bacteria so they can’t make you sick.

The only whole-home solution to everything.

A whole-home air cleaner makes sense.  And no whole-home air cleaner is more effective than the PureAir™ air purification system made by Lennox.  In fact, PureAir cleans the air in your home better than any single solution you can buy, using three different types of technology.  And it generates no ozone.

• Filtration:  A CarbonClean 16 filter removes up to 95% of particles ranging in size down to 0.3 micron*, while its carbon component captures any latent ozone in your home.
• UV lighting:  Removes OVER 90% of bacteria, fungi and germs ranging in size down to 0.01 micron*
• Catalyst plate: Removes and destroys approximately 50% of household odors and chemical vapors in a 24-hour period**

New for 2015

PureAir was already the leading whole-home filtration solution, but for 2015, Lennox has added three new advantages.

• Better filtration: Carbon Clean 16 filtration is now standard.
• Tighter cabinet seals: With virtually no air leakage
• More energy efficient:  The new PureAir uses less electricity than ever.

Get your air quality consultation today

Betlem Residential of Rochester, NY can tell you more about the quality of the air in your home, and help you deal with the specific problems you face.  Call 585-271-4328 today to schedule your consultation. 

Turn summer health sunny side up with whole-home filtration

As U.S. heat waves reach record highs this summer in many states, a large portion of the population is experiencing a great deal of discomfort due to excess heat and humidity. But the temperature isn’t the only thing rising—so is the risk.

While many can stay out of harm’s way by staying cool and hydrated, the risk is even greater to those who suffer from respiratory ailments. Especially in metropolitan areas, where poor air quality accompanies skyrocketing temps.

That’s because during a heat wave, the sun’s rays virtually “cook” the outdoor air, mixing with the excess chemical compounds it contains. This “soup” it creates combines with the air’s naturally occurring nitrogen oxide, resulting in a smog of ground-level gas. When this happens, breathing becomes difficult, leaving those with respiratory illness more susceptible to illness and infection. Add this to the excess amount of allergens—such as seasonal pollens and molds already present in the summer air—and things can become downright unbearable.

Short of jumping in the nearest swimming pool, the first line of defense for many is to retreat indoors, where air conditioning can provide cooling relief. However, the same airborne particles plaguing individuals in summer heat can follow them indoors, where they becoming trapped inside and continue to circulate.

A whole-home filtration system, like Lennox’ new Healthy Climate® Carbon Clean 16 Media Air Cleaner, can provide families with much-needed relief rom these potentially harmful particles, dramatically improving the quality of indoor air. Compatible with any HVAC system, the HC16 provides hospital-grade filtration of airborne allergens and other particles, with a removable MERV 16 Precision Pleat™ media filter that eliminates more than 95% of allergy-aggravating particles from indoor air. These include pet dander, pollen, dust mites, viruses, bacteria, mold and fungi—all factors that can further contribute to and aggravate asthma and respiratory illnesses.

What’s more, the Carbon Clean 16 reduces ground-level ozone—a known lung irritant—from indoor air, converting it into clean, healthy oxygen while also neutralizing odors and airborne pollutants before they’re circulated back into the air.

For more information on indoor air quality issues, its impacts and more home solutions, visit http://betlem.com/air-quality-home.htm.

A few small energy-smart changes can add up to a big difference.

With energy costs going up every day, there’s never been a better time to start thinking about conservation. Changes don’t have to be drastic, either. Every little bit helps, because over time those little things add up to big savings.

Get yourself in hot water.

Water heaters use up to 18% of your total energy bill every month*, which gives you a big opportunity for big savings. The more you do to hold in the heat, the better.

Consider buying a water heater blanket, a simple insulated wrap that goes around your water heater, to reduce lost warmth. Also consider insulating the pipes in your basement that lead to and from your water heater. This preserves warmth on your water’s journey to the faucet or showerhead so you can set your faucet at a cooler temperature to stay comfortable.

Insulate yourself against waste.

Is your attic properly insulated? Millions of them aren’t. Without adequate insulation, you’re making your air conditioner or furnace work harder than it should to keep you comfortable. And you’re letting money drift up into the atmosphere. A small investment in proper insulation will help you hold on to every last dollar, while making your home feel better all year long.

Invest in energy-smart comfort.

Even if your home heating and cooling system is only a few years old, advancements in efficiency may make replacing your system a smart move. Air conditioners like the Lennox® XC21 can offer energy efficiency ratings of up to 26 SEER as part of a system. That can save you hundreds of dollars every year.

Likewise, with fossil fuel costs going up, a furnace like the Lennox SLP98V can help save money all winter long, because its AFUE rating of 98.2 means it converts more than 98% of the fuel it burns into useable heat. That’s serious efficiency.

Put your comfort on a schedule.

Heating and cooling your home can account for half of your total energy bill. So if your system runs less, the savings will become apparent immediately. One of the ways you can reduce use without sacrificing your perfectly comfortable air is by installing a programmable thermostat.

Programmable thermostats like the ComfortSense® 7000 or iComfort Wi-Fi®can adapt your heating and cooling to your life by running your furnace or air conditioner less often during the hours that nobody is home.

Make a switch with your lighting.

A single light bulb may not seem like much of an energy drain. But when you think about how many rooms you have in your home, and the fact that each room probably uses multiple light bulbs, you can see the opportunity for savings.

It’s probably a no-brainer to replace standard incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving CFL or LED bulbs, but why not take it one step further? Consider putting some of your interior and exterior lights on a timer to limit daily use. You can increase outdoor security by having lights that come on automatically when it’s dark, without accidentally leaving them on all day.

Also consider using motion-activated light switches for rooms that see little use.  These switches turn the light on when they sense movement, and turn it off again after a few minutes when movement stops. So you’ll have light when you need it, but won’t risk leaving a light on when you leave the room.

Switch your showerhead.

Every drop of hot water that comes out of your showerhead is a drop that had to be heated in the basement. So it stands to reason that the less water you use in the shower, the more you’ll save on your energy and water bills.

Unfortunately, the words “low-flow showerhead” used to be practically synonymous with an unpleasant showering experience. But that’s changed. New designs can help you use less water and still enjoy a refreshing shower experience.

*SOURCE:  http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/tips-water-heating