Advice Comparing Air Cleaners

14 years ago

This is the first of what will be several questions over the next few days re: the purchase of a replacement furnace/heat pump/air filtration system. Rather than bog down a thread with multiple questions in one post, I will try to go step by step so I can keep the information straight. :-))

Our current system uses a standard 1" 16x25 filter. It simply slides into an unsealed slot, so a lot of air leaks by the filter; the filter is held "tight" by the air flow through it...obviously not working very well. I want/need to have much better filtration, but am not sure how much is enough/how much is overkill and hype. Whatever furnace/heat pump combination I end up with, there will be more than enough cfm generated to handle any air cleaner I end up with.

My wife has some allergies, none of which, according to her dermatologist, are caused by my basement woodworking shop. I don't believe this totally, since her allergies seem to worsen about the time I start working to get ready for my craft show fall season. As such, any new system will be sealed, theoretically, to any return air in the basement (remember, our current system is sucking dusty air by the filter all the time). Again, in theory, the dust in the basement will not be sucked in by the new system - only the return air from upstairs will be filtered.

I don't mind maintaining a filter by vacuuming and/or washing, and I don't mind (so much) replacing filters as needed. What I do mind is buying more than I really need, or buying "snake oil" when I don't know it.

With the variable speed blower furnace I will likely be buying, I plan to run the blower 24/7 to have 24 hour filtration.

At the "top of the line," I am l looking at these, all of which are touted by their manufacturers to the the absolute best:

Trane Clean Effects

Bryant Perfect Air/Carrier Infinity

Lennox Pure Air

One step down in cost/complexity, I am looking at these:

Trane 5" Perfect Fit Media Filter (same case as Clean Effects, just media only)

Bryant Preferred EZ Flex/Carrier Performance EZ Flex - either 10 or 16 MERV

Lennox EZ Flex

Honeywell F100

Question 1 - In actual everyday performance, not in mfg. specs, will I notice a difference in performance between the first and most expensive category (Pure Air, etc.) and the "filter only" units in the less expensive category?

Question 2 - Within each type, which would you install or recommend for your own house under these conditions? Why?

Thanks so much for your help. I have been absolutely impressed with the tone and quality of the answers you folks provide here...information, not trash talk like I have found on so many other sites.

Joe

Featured Answer

daddo

14 years ago

I do sell Trane equipment and like the clean effects, but the "April Air 2200" is my favorite. Replace the 11 merv 5" filter once a year. No vacuuming or cleaning or repairs.
I don't like the Trane Perfect Fit- it doesn't do near as well.
I install the April Air on all systems I put in unless the customer wants the clean effects. I never have to clean the indoor units and the filter does well for allergies.
Remember that pollens and spores and such are in the carpet, drapes, furniture too and those must be professionally cleaned as well as the whole house as the filter will only trap what tries to get thru it and only when the indoor blower is running. Every time you open the exit door you'll let in the allergens and of course the allergens also collect on clothing outside and you bring it back in. So if you do anything but stay in the house all day, a filter in the home won't be a real fix, so I would not spend a fortune on one.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

troys
14 years ago
I can tell you that the Trane clean effects is a very good filter. That is the only electronic filter I install and I did install one in my home before I started selling them. They actually cut the dust way down in the home and is very good with allergies. I always run it on ON when someone gets sick and in CIR rest of the time. It is one of the easiest that I have found to clean and maintain. I have not tried the others so I cannot compare to them but they make the Trane in several sizes to fit other manufactures units if you go with another brand ac.
Related Discussions
Dust, dust, dust - Do air cleaners work?
Q
Comments (4)
household dust is an odd combination of things- and having a dog certainly increases the 'dead skin' component of it. increasing the humidity in the room is the easiest way to cut down on airborne dust- it might also cure your cough (though if you're having any other breathing symptoms, or any swelling anywhere- get yourself checked for allergies. I'm an adult-onset dander, never USED to be allergic- but now the cat's not allowed in the bedrooms any more) the ionic and HEPA filter air cleaners WILL take out airborne dust- one of my clients has the 'smarter' ones in his house that needed cleaning EVERY DAY for the first few months he had it, and then it started catching up with itself, and now they get cleaned once a week, and even the plants look healthier.
...See More
Need advice on Heat pump & air handler replacement
Q
Comments (1)
Quote 1: Does not qualify for the tax credit, if that's what they're leading you to believe. Good outdoor unit, but it bothers me they are not including a variable speed air handler. Quote 2: This company may just have a lower overhead and overall lower prices. If your realtor has had good experience in the past, I wouldn't have a problem. But I would suggest stepping the outdoor unit up to the Amana line (subsidiary of Goodman), which is a more premium product to compare to the other units you've been quoted. In general I would avoid Goodman/Amana because I think there's better out there, but if it's what fits the space and qualifies for the tax credit, then it would be worth considering. The Carrier units that would qualify are huge physically outside. Quote 4: Sounds like they're oversizing the equipment--not a good thing. I would avoid. 800 sqft. in our area shouldn't require 2 tons, and if the old 1.5 ton did the job in the past, that's what I'd install. Also they are not informing you that if you register the units with Trane within 60 days of install, warranty should be 10 years on all parts. And yes, a humidifier should give an added sense of warmth to the air and hence allow you to set your thermostat lower.
...See More
Need Central Air / Heating system equipment advice
Q
Comments (6)
I would bet the ductwork is no where near set up for a 5 ton system so it would need to be replaced. I would steer clear of Goodman unless you were comparing the top of the line Goodman to at least middle of the road Carrier, Ruud, Trane or other brand. Goodman Tempstar and Heil tend to be noisier and just kind of 'klunky' than some other brands and it seems easier to get a fly by night installer. I bought a home with a Tempstar and the installer was a moron. I spent probably 40 hours opening up return holes in the floor/wall cavaties, adding a return duct and sealing every connection with mastic and still had a system that you had to turn the tv up every time the blower came on. I found out later my 'installer' took a class in HVAC online!! My first winter in 2006 I had 400-500.00 electric bills in a 1,700sq ft home and after the duct fixes I dropped it to 250-300 of course part of that was adding a good outdoor sensing thermostat. I think my bills with this new RUUD system will stay in the low 200.00 range. The new system draws half the amperage of the old one in heat pump mode. I am also getting by with 10kw of heat strips instead of 20 just sealing everything up and getting the ducts right. I don't think there would be anything wrong with a top of the line GOodman but you better be VERY cautious of the installer. The installer is the most important key to the equation. I do not think anyone in here is 'tranewashed' its just speaking the truth overall a Rheem Ruud Carrier Trane American Std Bryant and many others are just overall better systems. I would not personally get a bid for a tempstar or the like even if it was a rental house. I thought the same thing before this experience 'who cares as long as it blows hot and cold when its supposed to' but after my experience with a system that was louder than my old mobile home with the furnace in a hallway instead of in my basement. No Thanks!!
...See More
Comparing Elevation Options from Architect (advice needed)
Q
Comments (69)
That slope looks nice to me. Not sure if they would fix ours but I think I should at least ask. I like that house. We own the property and we are planning to do construction management. The guy who was selling the lots does the management- all of the houses in the neighborhood have been built that way so far. He is able to keep costs down since he has many of the contractors on site since there are a number of houses being built. We were originally thinking we would have the architect bid out the project. We told him our budget before we designed the house. When it was done he got an estimate from a contractor he uses and it was SO beyond our budget (like almost double I think?) we were infuriated. It seems even though we continually stressed that we were on a budget, the architect ignored it. We went to the construction management guy we were originally going to use and he was able to get the cost into our affordable range. From what my husband tells me, the tradeoff is that we are assuming a lot of risk. Which is particularly why I think we need this plan to be as good as we can get it, so things can move quicker once we start. The architect has no relationship with the manager except that we have put them in contact a few times- the manager has been helpful in pressuring him to move along faster. The architect's contract says he will make some site visits and things during building but I don't think I trust him anymore. We are hoping to keep the price down to 550. The manager thinks we can if we stick to the budget. He did price everything out roughly to get an estimate. From what I can tell there is no way to e-mail you directly from this site? I could send you the details then... Since we don't need to bid, I suppose the spec isn't as important. I am just concerned that a contractor might see it and assume it is what we want and move ahead with it rather then asking us. In our current apartment (we are in a brownstone in the NYC area) I see that our windows are not aligned with the door height and it looks fine to me (I never noticed it until this thread, just measured it all to get an idea for the house). We have 8' ceilings, the windows are 6" from the ceiling, 63" or so tall, and the top of the sill is 29" form the ground. That sounds like the same sill height and maybe even windows height that you are describing? I guess that gives me a good reference! So it would basically be exactly what we have here but almost 1' of additional ceiling above the window. Is there a standard or typical sill height?
...See More
srercrcr
14 years ago
Two things....if you run the blower full time, when the compressor is off, you will be putting humidity back into the house because the blower is pushing air through a very wet coil (unless humidity isnt really an issue).
I have a Carrier electronic air cleaner. I turned it off cause as the particles of whatever hit the unit, it would make a popping noise. Remember those black mesh filters they put in window air conditioners? Theyre kinda hard to find now, but for like $2 you can lay that across the front of your existing filter. It does a super filtering job, is washable, and cheap.
tigerdunes
14 years ago
jpack

Threads like this can get you in the deep weeds but I will offer my thoughts as well as some anecdotal information.

I subscribe to the KISS principle. I think that the 4-5" pleated filter media cabinet MERV 10-12 is more than adequate for 99.9% of homeowners and provides good indoor air quality,good airflow without restriction, and good protection of evap coil and blower motor. Those are the reasons for filtration. Changeout can be up to one year depending on one's home and number of people/pets etc plus it is very easy. Changeout takes about 30 seconds and there is zero maintenance/cleaning. Depending on source and generic vs OEM, filters can cost between $35-$60.

I have nothing against the third party brands. But I will say I have a Trane dual fuel system and my Perfect Fit Media cabinet fits my furnace like a glove should fit a hand.

There use to be a regular dealer/pro on this forum who many times stated he removed more EACs than he installed. Don't know if that's still true.

IMO
insaprsr
13 years ago
About 5 years ago we installed a Carrier system with a Carrier Electronic Air Cleaner. I was somewhat disappointed, because I saw some dust collect on the blower cover just beneath the Air Cleaner within a couple of weeks after cleaning the unit. Because I thought (wrongly) that this whoop de doo unit was much better somehow than an ordinary pleated filter, I put up with the normal snapping sounds when dust hit the thing and got zapped, the nuisance of cleaning the filters and occasionally replacing the wires that sometimes broke. Finally, it stopped making those zaps, and I asked my maintenance contract mechanic to repair it--he just took the dumb grids out, and replaced them with an Air Bear 8 pleated filter--are you certain THAT will be as good as my high-tech wonder filter I asked--he just laughed. Before putting it in, he wiped the blower case clean--after the Air Bear was in a couple of months, I took it out and looked--and the blower case was still clean. Wouldn't have happened with the electronic unit. My unscientific verdict: the electronic air cleaner is a rip-off--don't waste your money!
sportsgaleliza
13 years ago
I have a space pack a/c unit into my old house and it has a dynamic electro static air filter system. I am not too familiar with these systems and am wondering how often I need to change the air filter and whether it matters whether I go with the name (dynamic) brand or not.

I am not convinced of the benefits of electro static air filters but am knot that knowledgeable.

I'd appreciate any feedback.
fsq4cw
13 years ago
Re: insaprsr:

Most interesting (and illuminating) post; canÂt say IÂm very surprised.

Re: sportsgaleliza

I too have a Dynamic electrostatic air filter. I feel theyÂre pretty good with little restriction of airflow and comparably priced to name brand quality standard air filters. They should be replaced at least a couple of times during each heating/cooling season. You could also vacuum them periodically to extend their usefulness; just put them back facing the same way they came out.

SR
zippyhvac
13 years ago
I like any 4-5" media filter. They're cheap and proven technology. I'm running the Honeywell f100 series now, but I wouldn't speak badly of any of the brands mentioned. FWIW, I would pick your favorite major brand though - it will give you the opportunity to scan the net for replacement elements and keep your costs down.
candrei1
10 years ago
Hello, i have a suggestion for all of you who are looking to purchase an electrostatic air filter. I recommend everyone NeverBuyAnotherFilter.
I have been using it and I am very satisfied with it. I also have some friends who've been using and they are very satisfied too

Here is a link that might be useful: NeverBuyAnotherFilter
jackfre
10 years ago
I prefer the 5" pleated filters from Trion or the others. Filters are based on MERV numbers. The higher the number the tighter the filter. Make sure you contractor knows what you will be using because a real tight filter will affect system performance by restricting air flow.

You might want to look into an ERV air to air heat exchanger and for what you are trying to avoid (shop air transmission). you should pressure test the duct system before and after the work is done. google "doeduct leakage" and spend a few minutes reading.

Advice Comparing Air Cleaners

daddo

Comments (10)

troys

Related Discussions

srercrcr

tigerdunes

insaprsr

sportsgaleliza

fsq4cw

zippyhvac

candrei1

jackfre

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US