I was cleaning our home this morning and was really bothered by all of the small particles of dust, dander and hair that I could see floating around in the rays of sunshine. I vacuum a lot using a hepa filter, and I change the filter on our furnace frequently, but still I am sure there are a lot of particles that I can't see all the time. Today I even took the vacuum and tried to suck up these particles that I could see in the ray of sun. We are building a new house, and I would like to keep it as clean and fresh as possible, so I wanted to seek the recommendation of this group to help me decide what to do. First, I have been reading about several different air purifiers. I am a little confused on what to look for to remove the dust and dander, as opposed to some of the gimicky things out there. Can anyone help educate me on what I should be looking for in a quality air purifier? Is there a difference between purifier and filter? Also, how do I think about using these machines? I have two dogs and a cat that have a lot of dander and hair (and we also have dander and hair). I will be moving into a 2-stroy house that is about 2300sqft. I can't imagine putting just one or two of these in my house and having them take care of the air for the whole house. Do I need one in every room? Does anyone have cleaning recommendations in addition to the air purifiers? I vacuum frequently, have hard wood floors with some area rugs (and in the new house the master bed, bonus room and guest rooms will have carpet). I got really frustrated knowing how much time I put into cleaning the house with what looks like minimal results. Your help is greatly appreciated. Tim

Electronic filters tend to cause more problems than they solve. None of the HVAC contractors I have spoken with have recommended them. I am a little skeptical how a filter can operate on 24 volts AC can produce the electrostatic charge needed to attract air particles. Here is a quote from the EnviroSept web site: "The input of 24-volts AC generates a 7,000 volt positive DC charge from its power head." I would love to see the circuit that takes 24 volt AC and steps it up to 7000 volts DC in a device that is less than 1 inch thick! I notice the device has no UL rating. I would not feel safe installing this near a furnace.

The power pack can be replaced along with other parts. 20+ years and a new furnace, I would consider purchasing a new one. However, the contact boards, and associated other parts can be replaced if your handy, along with cell contact board replacements, pre-filters, etc. There is nothing new and different about a brand new one and the old generation. Here is link and a company that provides great service. Here is a link that might be useful: Bel Air

I would like to say you are at the right place to get help but everyone has an opinion. I use them and recommend others use them. I'll give you the best advice I know of and let you sort out what you hear from others. A good hvac contractor has instruments to do trial and error tests with different Merv ratings to find if your filter rack is of sufficient size. Commercial ventilation contractors are more knowledgeable than majority of havc contractors. If you are unable to locate a contractor that know's what they are doing,I will give you a diy procedure that can get you close. You didn't ask but I will offer a couple of tips. Remove the cover from a discharge vent to see if there's a lot of dust inside duct. If so,you should have coils cleaned. I'm not a fan of duct cleaning simply because 90% of those in it are rip off artists but you can decide. Knowing what trigger's the Asthma will tell you the micron size of irritant which can be translated to required merv for trapping it. As an example,here are some known irritants and the merv which will trap them. Dust mites and pollen=4,mold spores=8,auto emissions and welding fumes=10, bacteria and tobacco smoke=15. Viruses are so small that commonly available filters will not capture them. But the good news is that virus don't suspend well in air so must hitch a ride on particals that will be captured.