We all like to keep our homes clean and tidy, free from sand, dust and blown in dirt. This can be easily achieved with vacuums, dusters and more. There are a whole host of appliances for this purpose. We also like the house tidy and clean for visitors and our own comfort. But what about the air? How can we clean the impurities and dust from the air? After all these impurities defy one’s ability to be seen.
The air that enters our homes and that we breathe on a daily basis are full of impurities; fine particles of dust and pollens not to mention pet dander, loose hair and many others. They cause allergies, nasal and sight problems. What is worse is that many of these foreign particles cannot be detected by smell. Cigarette smoke is another obnoxious odor and irritant plus bad to inhale. It can often be detected but we cannot remove it easily.
So how can we remove these obnoxious odors then? By purifying the air with a whole-house air purifier. Today we will concentrate on the removal of these impurities circulating in our houses, offering some insight into how to obtain the correct affordable one.
Benefits of a Whole-house air purifier
Anyone who spends some time at home, whether working from home or being a stay at home parent, will benefit from clean air. It will improve that sluggish feeling one gets from stale or polluted air and can help productivity by ensuring the air you breathe is clean.
When air impurity levels in the house rise it can make inhabitants feel uncomfortable. This could be due to many things such as outside smoke, dust or funes entering the house. Should you suffer from asthma or other allergies then polluted air can make you feel quite ill. Plus, the fact that even the healthiest of people can feel lethargic and out-of-sorts from inhalation of pollutants.
An air purifier can remove particles as small as 0.3 microns. These are so small you cannot even them. Manufacturer’s of machines with multi-filters claim they remove 99.97% of particles. This clean air can assist your sleeping, prevent snoring in some cases and generally improve your health. Extremely poor air quality can also cause infants to suffer and it has been known, in rare cases, to bring on SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
Improving your house air quality can, therefore, again in some cases, prevent sleep disorders and improve your sleep giving you a complete restful night.
How do we choose the best and correct whole-house purifier?
Should you wish to purify the air in your whole house here are the features we suggest:
Coverage area
Although an air purifier can cover an entire house it can also be fitted to your HVAC system (High volume air conditioning unit). Today we will focus on the portable type of air purifier which is capable of covering a whole house.
For each air purifier unit we will advise their coverage area. We will suggest various units for houses of approximately 1100 – 3700 square feet.
Noise Level
Noisy appliances can be very irritating especially if they run continuously. However, not all air purifiers are noisy and not all are quiet. The larger the unit and the faster the speed the noisier the unit will be. Most manufacturers tell you the anticipated noise levels and this depends on where the units are installed. We suggest you buy a larger unit.
This may sound like incorrect advice, however, the larger the unit the slower it needs to run, therefore it will be quieter. On the other hand, if you buy a unit that barely meets your needs for whole-house purifying it will work much harder and consequentlywill work at full speed making more noise. If a manufacturer is not willing to advise you of the anticipated noise level, a few reviews will surely let you know.
Filters
It is the filters fitted to the system that makes it a great air purifier. Poor quality air filters just won’t fit the bill here. Good quality and the number of filters in the unit will assuredly make it an efficient machine. The best filters are the HEPA type, which are activated carbon filters.
The HEPA filter
Undoubtedly these filters will do the best job. It is one of the best filters for trapping the smallest pollutants such as dust mites, pollen and mold.
Activated carbon Filters
For obnoxious odors, you will need an activated carbon filter in the filtration system. For those who are not sure what activated carbon is, it can be made from wood, coconut shells, coal and other materials subjected to high thermal temperatures and pressures (this is also called activated charcoal). The filter consists of the largest area of activated carbon possible in the unit and the tiny pores absorb and attract the smallest particles of gas molecules and formaldehyde, as well as tiny microscopic droplets of virus, too.
Fortunately, most air purifiers contain both types of filters. However, the more filters there are in the unit the better the purification system will be and the higher the price can be.
Warranty
A good warranty will cover most of the components including any broken parts or even the entire unit, if found faulty. Make sure when you buy the unit that it is covered by a good warranty. Read the warranty carefully. If the product has a really good warranty it usually means the manufacturer is reputable and the unit is well made.
Best Whole- House Air Purifiers of 2021
It is best to check the manufacturer’s reputation by reading client reviews. This will give you some ideas of the best models on the market.
Alen BreatheSmart Classic Air Purifier
The Alen BreatheSmart Classic air purifier is a powerful air purifier, having at least 105 watts of power and is able to move at least 290 CFM (cubic feet per minute). It has a 3000 CADR (clean air delivery rate) rating and can purify air over an area of over 1000 square feet. Check the reviews as some homeowner’s state that it has relieved allergies. This is a best-buy in our books and has the top rating.
Why do we love this model?
This model has several filter layers of the unique HEPA filter. Each layer can remove various pollens and dust.
It has a pre-filter for removing larger objects such as hair and allergy causing pollens. The filters trap all airborne irritants and has a special H13 HEPA filter
Ultra Quiet
It is a remarkably quiet model, thanks to the WhisperMax technology making it one of the quietest units on the market. Depending on the fan speed the audible sound is between 41.5 and 56 db (decibels).
Full House Coverage
The Alen BreatheSmart can effectively clean the air in the whole house (1000+ square feet) within 2 hours, after which it can be switched to auto.
Beautiful Design
The unit matches many house schemes (bronze, brushed stainless steel, graphite and gold champagne) and has a control panel with 4 fan speeds.
Bear in Mind
This unit, when new, will emit a faint chemical odor, as do all new machines. After a few uses, the odor diminishes and is not noticeable.
Conway Airmega 400 Smart Air Purifier
This unit too has excellent user reviews and it is a handsome addition to any home. Due to its smart technology this unit can adjust automatically to the surrounding environment. Sensing the environment is a great feature of this unit and many reviewers praise its efficiency in removing pollutants.
The unit has two filters capturing 99.97 percent of pollutants, keeping the house fresh and clean. It also has an impressive LED ring indicator which displays the quality of the air continuously. Its modern looks and powerful suction capabilities make it well worth adding to our list.
Why do we love it
Smart air monitoring technology.
The Smart Conway Technology is able to adjust to the surrounding conditions and is a great plus for saving on utility bills.
Its sensors communicate the surrounding air quality to the smart control, automatically adjusting the fan speed. Depending on the air quality the sensors change from blue to red.
Powerful Suction
The Conway Airmega is a powerful machine with double-sided suction. Drawing air from each side, the unit passes the air through the filters and out of the top. This unit also has an activated carbon filter, as well as a HEPA filter. All air passes through these, plus a pre-filter before leaving the machine
This pre-filter captures animal fur and all dust and is easy to clean. It has an indicator that lights up to advise you that these filters need cleaning. As the air travels through the filtration system, it encounters the Max2 filter, which is a mix of activated carbon and true HEPA filters.
Filter Indicator
This illuminates to indicate that filters require cleaning. It also alerts you when the pre-filter requires cleaning.
Great Design
If you are interested in a smart looking unit then the Conway Airmega certainly is at the top of the list. It is available in two colors, white and black.
Keep in mind
Some users noted in the reviews that the filters are expensive to replace especially the Max2 filter.
Medify Air MA-112
Having a modern design coupled with powerful suction, the Medify Air MA-112 is a fantastic buy. It has received many reviews especially noting the powerful suction and the silence of its operation.
This unit can cover 3700 square feet making it the most powerful unit on our list. This powerhouse can clean the air in a home in one hour drawing from the sides and distributing it in a 360-degree area.
This unit has a true HEPA filter making it a medical-grade air purifier. It is efficient at removing all airborne pollens, down to the smallest of particles. The quality of the indoor air is displayed by numbers as well as in colors.
Why do we love this unit
Foremost is its powerful and fast cleaning attribute.
It is so incredibly powerful that it boasts cleaning a 3700 square foot room in 60 minutes whilst a 2500 square foot one takes just 30 minutes. Having a high CADR (clean air delivery rate) rating of 950 is the reason for its high effectiveness.
It has four fan speeds, depending on your choice, which direct the clean purified air in multiple directions.
Automatic Quality Updates
To display the quality of the air, this unit has an indicator that changes colour and has a particle indicator shown by a digital readout. The lower the number means there is less particle matter in the air.
An automatic fan speed adjustment is present that regulates the unit’s fan speed, although it is selectable manually.
Medical grade Filtration
Having four levels of filtration the Medify Air is graded as a Medical Performer. Everything from large fibers to allergens to pet dander is removed, which gives it an efficiency of 99.97 percent. The smallest of small particles are removed down to 0.3 microns.
The activated carbon pelletized filter removes all odors and formaldehyde. This activated carbon pellet filter will remove gases. Additionally, air can be passed over it at between 25 – 100000 cubic feet per minute which makes it one of the most effective filters. If you require an ion filter this can be added to refresh all outgoing air.
Keep in mind
This is a large unit
Some reviews emphasize the size as being too large to blend in with surroundings.
IQAir Medical-Grade Air Purifier with HEPA Filter
It may be that you are suffer from allergies, in which case you could look closely at the IQAir Medical Grade Unit. This machine possesses HyperHEPA filtration technology, which is said to remove particles found in the air as small as 0.003 microns. This unit is fitted with high power fans and a maintenance-free motor. This unit is a multidirectional air distributor which eliminates draughts as well as unfiltered air that has escaped its filtration system.
All settings can be controlled by a handheld remote. It can notify you of any changes to the operation.
Why do we love it
Possesses the super HyperHEPA filter
The IQAir possesses the most effective super filter so named as a HyperHEPA filter. This is a special and exclusive version of the normal HEPA filter used by most manufacturers. The filter, as mentioned above, can remove particles as small as 0.003 microns in size. Tested to 99.5 percent of ultra-fine particles, it successfully stopped particles of known viruses passing through it.
It is also specially equipped to have minimal air leakage with triple sealing technology ensuring all air passes through the machine with minimal escaping.This system has a 3D UltraSeal technology consisting of individual seals providing an airtight enclosure.
Powerful fan
The IQAir machine is equipped with a new version of high powered fan with a maintenance-free motor. This fan has the capability of delivering air 780 cubic feet per minute whilst being energy efficient. Depending on the settings, the fan can use 27 to 215 watts.
Also, it is equipped with a special EvenFlow air diffuser, delivering air in a 320-degree radius. The unit is ultra-quiet and will not cause draughts of air.
Remote Control
You can control this unit with the supplied handheld remote, while at the same time monitoring the filter program settings. This remote has many more functions.
Keep in mind
This unit may create machine smells
Some reviews have noted this when beginning to use the unit
The manufacturer was, however, quick to respond by sending a new filter to prevent any smells.
Cleaner air for a happier home
Making use of a whole-house air purifier can benefit you in many ways. If you are an asthma sufferer or suffer from any allergies or sleep disorders, a whole-house air purifier will get to work cleaning the air for spaces as large as 3700 square feet.
Whilst looking for a suitable air purifier, measure your home making sure that you can fully cover your home. Check on the noise level to make sure this is acceptable. Read the warranty thoroughly noting the fine print to make sure what is covered by the manufacturer.