Seeking advise on a home air cleaning unit

[Speedy Jim]

Since you have forced air heating, buy the best (highest rated) filter element for the furnace. Make 100% certain that the filter fits perfectly (no air can leak around it).

And....have a UV-C biocidal lamp installed in the return duct (or plenum). They are made just for this purpose and kill mold/fungal spores and also bacteria/viruses.

You will have less invested than in one very good room air cleaner. If you find that a particular room (bedroom maybe) needs even more attention, then get a stand-alone model for that room. They, too, can be furnished with UV lamps.

If you suspect that chemicals (rather than spores) are the causative factor, room air cleaners can be had with high-volume activated charcoal as well as HEPA filtering.

Jim

[John Gilmer]

If he is going to have any work done by his HVAC man he might look into the possibility of modifying things so that he can use a filter that thicker than the standard 1" model. Even a 2" thick "slot" would permit him to put a $.39 filter before the near HEPA $14 filter.

A "thick" pleated filter can combine filtering "efficiency" with relatively low pressure drop. The downside is that they will have to be special ordered (through your HVAC guy) but the positive side is that they will last longer than the 1" filters.

Note that some HVAC guys don't want to mess with that stuff. My guy (I live in a semi-rural area) doesn't even want to mess with UV lamps.

Getting a GOOD vacuum cleaner helps. And use it often. (

[Cliff]

4000 sq ft home with finished basement around 13 yrs old. Furnace is on one end of the house in the basement. Wife has alot of allergies, etc and doesn't even like the windows opened for very long. One hairy cat (which doesn't seem to bother the wife)

I have looked around the net but am seeking advise for those who have had personal experience, you know, some of that "don't buy this" or "this worked good for me" advise. lol I would rather have something that would do the entire home instead of buying 2 standalone units for separate floors.

Just had the ducts cleaned per wifes instructions and they didn't seem to be all that dirty. Don't know if they were previously cleaned but I doubt it.

Thanks Cliff

[kelly]

[Joseph Meehan]

From my personal experience there is really little you can do that will make a big difference. However that does depend on exactly what she is allergic to. Has she been tested? Knowing what to eliminate would help in selecting where to spend your money for the best effect.

[Cliff]

She mainly seems to have sinus problems when the AC or Heat is running so I think she is assuming its something in the ducts. But then again, she complains about seasonal pollen, etc, too. Come to think about it, she complains alot about everything. ; ) Hopefully , the duct cleaning will make a difference until I can figure something else out. Cliff