Air Cleaners Can Help Out Allergy Sufferers

QUESTION: My allergies are killing me and I need a whole-house air cleaner. What is the most effective and easy-to-install air cleaner that will not reduce the efficiency of my central air conditioner and furnace?

ANSWER: There are new designs of whole-house air cleaners (mounted in forced-air furnace/air-conditioning blower) that can remove up to 99% of pollen, molds, cat dander, smoke, etc. from the air. I have allergies myself and I have tested many different air cleaner designs in my own heat pump.

Several easy-to-install air cleaners slip into the existing one-inch filter slot with no modifications. Installing one improves your air conditioner and furnace efficiency by keeping the dust off of the heat exchanger coils.

Residential air cleaner designs include: self-charging electrostatic, pleated media, electronic and HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air). Self-charging air cleaners use a combination of materials. This creates a natural static charge to trap allergens and dust. They use no electricity.

You clean the filter element with a garden hose or in a bathtub. The water neutralizes the static charge and the particles easily wash away. With regular cleaning, a self-charging air cleaner will last many years.

One new slip-in self-charging model, System 4, has a small built-in smoke detector (9-volt battery). Its smoke alarm alerts you as it automatically shuts off the furnace blower. It also alerts you when it’s time to clean it.

Another slip-in design is available in kits so you can custom size it for your existing filter opening. These air cleaners have permanent anti-microbial treated filter material to control bacteria and fungi growth. Self-charging pre-filters are also available for electronic air cleaners.

The most effective (and expensive) air cleaner uses thick HEPA (often used in hospitals) and carbon filters. It removes more than 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 microns, odors, and harmful vapors. The air cleaner has its own blower and housing designed to attach to your ducts for simple installation.

Electronic air cleaners are very effective, particularly for smaller smoke and dust particles. They use only as much electricity as a 40-watt light bulb. You can easily clean the filter elements in your dishwasher.

Disposable pleated media filters are more effective than simple fiberglass filters, but much less than a HEPA unit. Some cost less than $6 each.

The type of allergies you have determine which type of air cleaner is best for you. Molds and pollen are relatively large particles. Cigarette smoke and some dusts are a hundred times smaller.

Write for Utility Bills Update No. 946 showing a buyer’s guide of 15 whole-house air cleaner manufacturers, filtration methods, filter efficiency ratings, prices and a chart showing which ones are most effective for various allergies. Please include $2 and a self-addressed envelope.

Send your requests to James Dulley, c/o Los Angeles Times, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45244. Allow three to four weeks for delivery.