Electronic air cleaners, sometimes referred to as ionizers or electronic air purifiers, use electrically charged filters to reduce the number of airborne contaminants in your home. As air passes through your heating and cooling system, the electronic air cleaner traps large particles (such as dust and dander) in a prefilter. Then, electrically charged filters attract and trap smaller particles (such as bacteria and mold) to prevent them from recirculating through your home.
Reusable filter
Electronic air cleaners offer many benefits, including easy maintenance. Since the filters are reusable, they can simply be removed and washed every few months. There’s no need to stock extra filters or make a special trip to the store for replacement filters.
Ozone emissions
Unfortunately, many electronic air cleaners can emit low levels of ozone – a known lung irritant. Look for purifiers that don’t generate ozone, such as the PureAir™ air purification system, which actually reduces ozone generated by other sources in your home.* In fact, it addresses all three types of indoor air pollutants: airborne particles, germs and bacteria, and chemical odors and vapors.
Air purification effectiveness
Electronic air cleaners can be highly effective in removing contaminants from your homes air, which can help relieve symptoms of allergies, asthma and other respiratory illnesses. Look for cleaners with filters that have a MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) rating of 10 or higher – this indicates a more efficient filter. The filter in the PureAir system from Lennox offers MERV 16 efficiency.
*Based on laboratory and field studies.
