Since all of the "experts" say that we'll have a smoke filled summer I've been considering installing a whole house (furnace+A/C attached) electrostatic air cleaner. At a previous house I had a Honeywell electrostatic filter that seemed to collect very little dust -- perhaps somehow defective? Any experience or recommendations for current units?
Smoke
- Thread starter kstrauss
- Start date
Tom Kitta
Ultra Member
I would go with HEPA all house air filter - and not some cheap stuff but higher end of HEPA. My mother has allergies and says there is noticeable difference between cheap 120 CAD units and expensive 500 CAD units (all room).
I looked over some of these "electrostatic " filters but I do not exactly like them at all.
Note this is all based on how sensitive you are.
I looked over some of these "electrostatic " filters but I do not exactly like them at all.
Note this is all based on how sensitive you are.
FWIW, I had a whole house honeywell electrostatic filter on my forced air electric furnace. It worked and it collected very fine dust but no where near as much as I thought it should. The pre filter screen was always thick with dust, cat hair, small birds etc. I found it a bit of a pain to clean and you have to be very careful not to bend any of the fins. The clearances are pretty fine and if you get it arcing it is VERY difficult to get it straight enough to stop arcing.
I finally gave up on the forced air heat and put in a combination of hydronic floor heat with a hw heat pump (Sanden) and electric resistance heat. Much quieter, a bit cheaper and overall, cleaner. I originally went with the forced air because we were both working and I wanted to turn the heat off during the day and heat the house up quickly morning and evening. We are now home much more and don't turn the heat down as much at night so it is not an issue.
Brian
I finally gave up on the forced air heat and put in a combination of hydronic floor heat with a hw heat pump (Sanden) and electric resistance heat. Much quieter, a bit cheaper and overall, cleaner. I originally went with the forced air because we were both working and I wanted to turn the heat off during the day and heat the house up quickly morning and evening. We are now home much more and don't turn the heat down as much at night so it is not an issue.
Brian
I just re-stocked my supply of filters for my forced air heat pump system and if I read correctly you have a similar full house air handler that takes a “furnace“ filter. Looking at the MERV 11 rated class of filters they claim to filter smoke which might be a drop in solution for you.
I don’t know how they’re going to work out yet, I’m still on the last MERV 8 of my previous buy.
D
I don’t know how they’re going to work out yet, I’m still on the last MERV 8 of my previous buy.
D
Yes, I have central forced air heat (gas furnace) and A/C. My current filters are inexpensive 16x25x5 ones from Amazon that claim to be MERV11. I have no real idea regarding what smoke they actually remove. Amazon has "X6672 Lennox Healthy Climate 16x25x5 Merv 16 Filter" for considerably more money...
That's a really thick filter, mine is only 1". The info I saw for higher MERV ratings talks about increased flow resistance but with 5" thickness you'd have a lot of filtering area so maybe it's not so much of an issue.
I just bought a box of 12 for $161 which I thought was a bit pricey, I was also offered a box of 12 MERV 8s by a local wholesaler for $531 + tax!
D
My last order for MERV11 filters was https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07K865DQH ($20/filter or $80 for four). Home Depot has the same size MERV11 for "only" $46.97 each.
We just had our furnace installed and the company talked us out of getting a “factory” filter enclosure.
They said we’d be stuck buying $200 filters from them twice a year. Having a regular filter and then a HEPA filter after it does make sense to me.
Is something like an activated charcoal filter needed to remove smoke?
They said we’d be stuck buying $200 filters from them twice a year. Having a regular filter and then a HEPA filter after it does make sense to me.
Is something like an activated charcoal filter needed to remove smoke?
Neat! And Canadian too!
Funny, ours was put in with an oddball size that isn't readily available........
I thought so too. I just bought direct from them (United), their Amazon store wouldn't ship free outside Ontario or Quebec.
On the up side they make them to size if they don't have your size in stock.
D
