Air Purifiers for the Garage
Since the pandemic we have been hearing a lot more about people turning their garages into places where they spend much more time. A couple of the more popular uses are first of all cigar rooms. secondly wood crafting centers. thirdly turning the garage into a crafting center is very popular as well. All of these conversions are leading home owners to look for ways to keep the new garage hobbies out of the home. Another consideration is making the new found space safe for its new activities. A LakeAir air purifying product will go a long way to making this new dream a reality
Not every garage use includes smoking but most of them create some sort of indoor air pollution. If the activity was welcome in the home it would more than likely be done there
Man Cave
Nobody want the mancave to be shut down by the lady of the house. Keep the cigar smoke and other odors in the garage. A ceiling mounted LAFC-RC2 can help make your fortress of football a long term resident of your home.
We cover a Garage Smoke Eater in detail on another webpage.
Wood Shop
Wood Shops create a lot of dust. LakeAir has many different products to keep the dust under control and your hobby shop neat and clean
Crafter's Cove
When you are crafting the air can be thick with paints and glue fumes. Keep the VOC out of your crafter COVe with a LakAir VOC extractor these great devices are less than $800.00.
MAX Guard-S
- 1500 CFM
- Electrostatic Filter ~ 97% Efficient
- 1000 gram carbon / 1.5 inch filter
- Washable Filter (fits in dishwasher)
- 22 x 14 x 16
- 1450 CADR
- Floor Unit on Casters
MAX Guard-S
- 1500 CFM
- Electrostatic Filter ~ 97% Efficient
- 1000 gram carbon / 1.5 inch filter
- Washable Filter (fits in dishwasher)
- 22 x 14 x 16
- 1450 CADR
- Floor Unit on Casters
CM2-RC2-S
- 800 CFM
- Electrostatic Filter ~ 97% Efficient
- 900 gram carbon / 2.5 inch filter
- Washable Filter (fits in a standard dishwasher)
- 24 x 24 x 13
- 625 CADR
- Celling Mounted
CM2-RC2-S
- 800 CFM
- Electrostatic Filter ~ 97% Efficient
- 900 gram carbon / 2.5 inch filter
- Washable Filter (fits in a standard dishwasher)
- 24 x 24 x 13
- 625 CADR
- Celling Mounted
CM2-RC2-M15
- 650 CFM
- MERV 15 Filtration ~ 95% Efficient
- 900 gram carbon / 2.5 inch filter
- Quiet Operation
- 24 x 24 x 13
- 625 CADR
- Ceiling Mounted
CM2-RC2-M15
- 650 CFM
- MERV 15 Filtration ~ 95% Efficient
- 900 gram carbon / 2.5 inch filter
- Quiet Operation
- 24 x 24 x 13
- 625 CADR
- Ceiling Mounted
MAX Guard-HEPA-120
- 900 CFM
- True HEPA ~ 99.97% Efficient
- 2000 gram carbon / 3.0 inch filter
- Best Smoke Removal / Extra Odor Removal
- 22 x 14 x 26
- 890 CADR
- Floor Unit on Casters
MAX Guard-HEPA-120
- 900 CFM
- True HEPA ~ 99.97% Efficient
- 2000 gram carbon / 3.0 inch filter
- Best Smoke Removal / Extra Odor Removal
- 22 x 14 x 26
- 890 CADR
- Floor Unit on Casters
MAX Guard-M15
- 1100 CFM
- MERV 15 Filtration
- 1000 gram carbon / 1.5 inch filter
- Lower filter replacement costs
- 22 x 14 x 26
- 1070 CADR
- Floor Unit on Casters
MAX Guard-M15
- 1100 CFM
- MERV 15 Filtration
- 1000 gram carbon / 1.5 inch filter
- Lower filter replacement costs
- 22 x 14 x 26
- 1070 CADR
- Floor Unit on Casters
MAX-700
- 650 CFM
- Electrostatic Filter ~ 97% Efficient
- 300 gram carbon / 0.75 inch filter
- Washable filter (easy in the dishwasher)
- 17 x 13 x 13
- 625 CADR
- Table Top / Shelf /Floor
- Quick View
- Wishlist
- Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
MAX-700
- 650 CFM
- Electrostatic Filter ~ 97% Efficient
- 300 gram carbon / 0.75 inch filter
- Washable filter (easy in the dishwasher)
- 17 x 13 x 13
- 625 CADR
- Table Top / Shelf /Floor
- Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
- Wishlist
CM2-RC2-HEPA
- 500 CFM
- True HEPA ~ 99.97% Efficient
- 900 gram carbon / 2.5 inch filter
- Quiet Unit /up to 500 sq. ft.
- 24 x 24 x 13
- 490 CADR
- Ceiling Mount
CM2-RC2-HEPA
- 500 CFM
- True HEPA ~ 99.97% Efficient
- 900 gram carbon / 2.5 inch filter
- Quiet Unit /up to 500 sq. ft.
- 24 x 24 x 13
- 490 CADR
- Ceiling Mount
CM2-RC2-HEPA-120
- 500 CFM
- True HEPA 2.5 ~ 99.97% efficient
- 1800 gram carbon / 4.5 inch filter
- Smoke Odor Killer
- 24 x 24 x 13
- 490 CADR
- Ceiling Mounted
CM2-RC2-HEPA-120
- 500 CFM
- True HEPA 2.5 ~ 99.97% efficient
- 1800 gram carbon / 4.5 inch filter
- Smoke Odor Killer
- 24 x 24 x 13
- 490 CADR
- Ceiling Mounted
Maxum HEPA-120
- 500 CFM
- True HEPA ~ 99.97% Efficient
- 900 gram carbon / 2.5 inch filter
- Best Table Top Smoke and Odor Elimination
- 17 x 13 x 13
- 490 CADR
- Table Top / Shelf / Floor
- Quick View
- Wishlist
- Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Maxum HEPA-120
- 500 CFM
- True HEPA ~ 99.97% Efficient
- 900 gram carbon / 2.5 inch filter
- Best Table Top Smoke and Odor Elimination
- 17 x 13 x 13
- 490 CADR
- Table Top / Shelf / Floor
- Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
- Wishlist
Maxum HEPA Air
- 500 CFM
- True HEPA 4.5 ~ 99.97% Efficient
- 300 gram carbon / 0.75 inch filter
- Best Table Top Smoke Removal
- 17 x 13 x 13
- 490 CADR
- Table Top / Shelf / Floor
- Quick View
- Wishlist
- Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Maxum HEPA Air
- 500 CFM
- True HEPA 4.5 ~ 99.97% Efficient
- 300 gram carbon / 0.75 inch filter
- Best Table Top Smoke Removal
- 17 x 13 x 13
- 490 CADR
- Table Top / Shelf / Floor
- Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
- Wishlist
Maxum Electrostatic Home
THIS Product is Currently UNAVAILABLE
- 275 CFM
- Electrostatic Filter ~ 97 % Efficient
- 20 gram carbon / 0.1 inch filter
- Best to add a super carbon
- 17 x 13 x 13
- 260 CADR
- Table Top / Shelf / Floor
Maxum Electrostatic Home
THIS Product is Currently UNAVAILABLE
- 275 CFM
- Electrostatic Filter ~ 97 % Efficient
- 20 gram carbon / 0.1 inch filter
- Best to add a super carbon
- 17 x 13 x 13
- 260 CADR
- Table Top / Shelf / Floor
MAX Guard HEPA
- 900 CFM
- True HEPA 4.5 ~ 99.97% Efficient
- 1000 gram carbon / 1.5 inch filter
- Best Smoke Removal
- 22 x 14 x 26
- 890 CADR
- Floor Unit on Casters
MAX Guard HEPA
- 900 CFM
- True HEPA 4.5 ~ 99.97% Efficient
- 1000 gram carbon / 1.5 inch filter
- Best Smoke Removal
- 22 x 14 x 26
- 890 CADR
- Floor Unit on Casters
The Basics of Air Purification for a Garage
Garage air purification tends to be a bit more commercial in nature. When an activity gets moved to the garage, most of the time it is because it is less than desirable for inside the home. These systems tend to have a greater air flow and thereby are a little louder. Many times the air purification volume is boosted so the air purification system can do extra cleaning without the extra noise. As a general rule to get the same air cleaning power with 25% less noise it requires 42% more circulation. These figures are derived from the blower manufacturers data.
The list below shows our different types of filtration available for garage and shed air purification systems. We will go into some detail on each further into this webpage. Carbon filtration is present in all of our air cleaning devices. In some cases in maybe the only filtration media. When a air cleaning system is primarily odor removal, it is refereed to as an VOC Extractor.
- HEPA – best performance overall
- Electrostatic – low filter replacement costs
- MERV 15 – adequate particle removal but lower replacement cost than HEPA
- Carbon – odor and VOC Removal
Uses of HEPA filters in your Garage
LakeAir True HEPA Filters
LakeAir uses only True HEPA filters. For a filter to be considered as a “True HEPA” is has to have been tested to remove 99.97% of all particles as small as 0.3 microns. What most people don’t know is that these filter are actually more efficient on smaller particles. In 2016 NASA conducted a study on the International Space Station. In this study NASA scientists discovered that the HEPA filters captured 99.997% of particles as small as 0.1 microns.
In a garage system HEPA filtration would be an excellent choice for the removal of very fine particles. Good examples of fine particle pollution you might find in a converted garage setting are:
- Smoke – Smoke can come from many processes like smoking, wood burning.
- Paint – Tiny particles of paint especially when sanding is an activity
- Fabric Fibers – When fabric and thread are manipulated fine fabric dust results
- Pottery – ultra fine dust is often accompanied with clay and glass
- Metal – grinding metal can create the finest of dust
While HEPA filters give your garage the cleanest air, they also come with the highest cost of maintenance. The average HEPA filter replacement cost for a garage system will be about $200.00 a year.
Uses of Electrostatic filter Cell in your Garage
Washable Filter Cells
LakeAir Manufactures their own electrostatic filter cells. These filters are very well built You should expect 15 or more years of life in these filters. In fact we have hundreds of these filters that have been in use for 30 plus years. The Electronic filter cell is not as efficient as a HEPA filter. When they are clean they are 97% efficient. We estimate that these filters lose between 1 and 4 % of efficiency each week, The more dirty air that passes through them the quicker they lose effectiveness. A great part about these filters is the ease with which they are cleaned. You can pop them into a household dishwasher and clean them very well very quickly. We suggest using a good grade detergent like “cascade platinum”.
The use of electrostatic filters in your garage setting makes the most sense when the level of indoor air pollutants is particularly high. This filter type makes sense when the use of other filters will required constant replacement. Some of the use that might lead you to consider an electrostatic solution are:
- Smoke – When the smoke is extra heavy like laser wood engraving
- Wood Working – A busy wood shop creates copious amounts of dust
- Metal Milling – If you hone metal the extra will quickly fill a air filter
- Cabinet Blasting – media blasting can create super high concentrations of dust
- Fiber Board – If you are cutting large quantities of fiber board or card board
Remember electrostatic systems do require more maintenance. our best guess is you will need to spend an extra 10 hours a year cleaning your electronic filter cells.
MERV 15 Media Option for Garage Filtration
MERV 15 air filters have been called the “poor mans HEPA filter”. While they are much cheaper, on average 35% less, they are still a bit pricey. Counting pennies is very important to some and this is where the MERV 15 fits in. They are not as good as a HEPA or electrostatic, but they offer good air quality with less work and less cost. If you are in good health, the MERV 15 level of protection should suit you well.
MERV 15 filtration will provide clean breathable air for just about any situation you might find in hobby use of your extra space. It wont be quiet as good as the other for-mentioned systems but will be adequate. Some activities where MERV 15 will be more than adequate are:
- Home Fitness – General dust coming from treadmills
- Crafting – Cutting paper and fabric products
- Sewing – Thread dust and fabric fibers
- Painting – Lite wood and metal prep for painting
- Electronics – Particles from soldering activities
A nice thing about LakeAir MERV 15 Media systems is you can easily upgrade your system to HEPA filtration by simply changing to HEPA filters. Our systems are designed for great versatility to allow customers to fine tune product performance to meet their needs.
Odor and VOC Removal "Carbon"
All of LakeAir Air purifiers have a carbon filtration element in them by design. The amount of carbon varies from unit to unit and can be as little as 10 grams all the way up to 5500 grams. Some settings require hardly any odor mitigation, while others scream for it. To this end we designed all of models to be able to be strictly carbon odor and VOC adsorption. As gaseous fumes are drawn through the honeycombs filled with carbon crystals the odor and VOCs are bonded to the carbon structure. Carbon can hold a tremendous amount of odor. The surface area of 8 grams of carbon is equal to one acre of land,
Its not very often we see a call for exclusive carbon filled filters. However, they do a great job at producing the results they were designed for. As a general rule when VOC extractors are called for there is a need for fairly high air flow. We suggest 8-12 air changes per hour in rooms where VOCs are being mitigated. Blow we will list some cases where a VOC extractor might be in order.
- Painting – When two part epoxy and Urethanes are being applied
- Printmaking – Some printers use inks high in VOC content
- Cannabis – Hemp can be a very stinky crop and sometimes need severe odor control
- Screen Printing – requires good ventilation of extra VOC extracting
- Furniture Refinishing – use stripping agent that gives off nasty fumes
- Gluing – Many glues contain VOCs that are released during the drying process
Even when enjoying a cigar, vape, or other smoking product, no one wants to sit in a dense fog of smoke. Whether you have a cigar room in your house or own a business where smoke removal is an issue, a simple investment in a smoke eater can help protect your health and your property.
Ways to Mount an Air Purifier in your Garage
When you are converting a garage to a new use, often times there is a bit of build out. I might include finishing one or more walls. A new ceiling is sometimes introduced. During the buildout process you will have opportunities to incorporate various different air purification mounting types. It doesn’t need to be fancy, just a structure to place the air purifier in a place where it will do the most good and is convenient to the new design. LakeAir offers more mounting options than any other air cleaner device manufacturer. An important point to be made is that the cost of the filtration type is what determines the cost. A HEPA system has the same cost in a flush ceiling mount as a floor model. We try to keep pricing simple. Air purification is hard enough as is. We don’t hide our specifications, other manufactures are intentionally vague.
Flush Ceiling "low Profile" Mounts
The LAFC-RC2 units can be mounted flush to the ceiling or hung. The unit is only 11 inches high leaving plenty of head room underneath it. It weighs about 100 pounds and can be safely hung from the garage roof struts. 4 eyebolts (included) provide a simple way to suspend your air purification system. The air purification is entirely enclosed. Dirty air goes in and clean air comes out.
Flush In Wall Mounts
Flush in wall mounted air purification is something only available from LakeAir. This design allows you to mount a unit vertically. The air purifier depth is 11 inches. This would leave 6.5 inches protruding from the back of a standard 2 x 4 wall. It is easy to box out a small column to accommodate the WM-RC2. This design returns clean air over the heads of the rooms inhabitants.
Ceiling Suspended Option
The LA2 line offers great flexibility in filter selection. You can choose from 13 different filter combinations. This adaptability allows you to choose the right filtration for almost any garage use. The best odor control and VOC extraction comes from this versatile line. This unit has a bit more of an industrial look and might be more suited to hobbies that lend themselves to be more of a cottage industry.
Portable on Casters
The MAX Guard line offers the same cleaning power as the other commercial units that might be used in the garage. This is a heavy unit on caster so it’s sturdy and easy to move. Weighing in at 90 pounds with super solid construction it double as a small table. The unit will look nice in any surrounding. Just plug this heavy duty air purifier in and you are ready to go.
Table Top Air Purifiication
The Maxum models have been around since 1968. While they have retained their initial over all designed they have been upgraded to offer good volume electrostatic , HEPA, odor control and VOC extraction. These units are best on a table top but can work well on the floor or mounted on the wall. In many cases garage workers employ multiple units on different benches to provide spot air purification where its needed. These models range in prices from $650.00 to just under $1000.00