COVID-19 has created a new indoor air quality reality. We can’t ignore the quality of the air we breathe. Americans are receiving vaccines everyday, but the protection they offer will only last 9 months. This article should be viewed as advice, not a solicitation to buy products and not medical advice. To understand what are the right products for your needs, you need to understand how much and what kind of air purification yo need.
The information below is laid out in a Best / Very Good / Good format and a Residential / Commercial / School / Medical. The screen will scroll to the area you have chosen. We will do our best to not become to repetitive.
Now that you know how many CFM of air purification are required to properly clean the the air , we can look at what the right air purifier would be for that space. If you are not planning on using a LakeAir brand air purifier, you can use the information in context with the air purifier you have chosen.
The Best COVID-19 filtration we can offer is our HUV (HEPA / UVGI) systems. UVGI stands for ultraviolet germicidal irradiation. HEPA systems are highly effective against nano-sized particles like COVID-19. Theoretically they are near 100%. Following up HEPA filtration with UVGI is a fail safe method to protect the air from unwanted viruses, bacteria and microbial life of all sizes and origins.
Residential Application: The LAAS-800-HUV and LAAS-1600-HUV can be incorporated into a residential HVAC system. You can have the same level of air purification that is being installed in hospitals and health care facilities in your home. Consult our customer service professionals about product availability and your home HVAC professional on installation specifics.
Very high level filtration is currently available to commercial locations. This level of filtration can be found in all of the following units. The LAFC-RC2-HUV, (900 cfm) LA2-RC1, (600 CFM) and LA2-RC2, (10000 CFM) offer ambient room air purification with both HEPA and UVGI.
Our air scrubbers work effectively as filtration bypass units. Air is removed from large ducts, purified by HEPA and UVGI filters and returned to the facilities air stream. This allows building upgrades without the cost of overhauling the entire system. Filter maintenance is easy requiring less labor than portable of local air purification solutions. The LAAS-800 (700 CFM) and LAAS-1600 (1100 CFM) models. are available in the HUV filter configuration.
The LAFC-RC2-HUV offers unmatched ambient room air purification. This unit provides 900 CFM of purified and sanitized air to any classroom. The dual blower design will allow quiet operation while providing up to 9 air changes per hour. The unit is mounted in a drop ceiling or to the ceiling itself. This keeps the air purifier away from curious hands.
The other LakeAir Models that include UVGI will be great units to help complete a schools IAQ strategy. The LAAS-800 and LAAS-1600 can be used as a HEPA / UVGI bypass in schools.
Medical facilities are being asked to use both HEPA and UVGI filtration. Where this does not have to be employed in the same unit it makes sense. Therefore the best options will include both. Many Doctors and Dentists offices are opting for units like LAFC-HUV. These Units will be available June 15, 2020. You can call our customer service number to inquire about pre-orders. Some of the parts for these models may become in short supply, so we advise pre-orders to get your products to you as quickly as possible.
Some practices have found a cost savings in incorporating Bypass within their buildings HVAC Systems. This allows you to take advantage of your forded air system augmenting it with HEPA and UVGI filtration. The LAAS Models allow this to be done easily.
HEPA air purification has been shown to be highly effective on COVID-19 sized particles. in 2016 NASA performed a STUDY that showed HPA filters can remove near 100% of all nanoparticulate. Moreover ASHRAE has released a position paper that recommends wide spread use of portable and local HEPA Air Purifiers in all medical facilities. LakeAir has HEPA filtration available in several models types.
The Maxum HEPA is a commercial HEPA air purifier in a home size case. It 13″ x 17″ x 13″ size with 500 CFM makes it the strongest table top HEPA Air Purifier on the market. It is a no frills made in the USA, made to last product. There aren’t any fancy bells and whistles to fail prematurely. This unit has a 7 year warranty from a company that has been around for 42 years.
COVERAGE: The 500 CFM of air circulation rate translates into providing 5 air changes per hour for an area of 750 square feet. 5 air changes per hour is the just below standard for medical facilities. That 500 CFM translates into a rather loud 65 dB(A). You see to get that kind of circulation through a 4 inch wide True HEPA we use a 800 CFM plus blower. When you are working with commercial filters you can’t use off the shelf components. Thankfully the Maxum HEPA has a variable speed controller and can be scaled all the way back to a meager 40 dB(A).
Residential Application: The LAAS-800-HOC and LAAS-1600-HOC can be incorporated into a residential HVAC system. You can have HEPA air purification with your current forced air system in your home. Consult our customer service professionals about product details and your home HVAC professionals on installation specifics.
Many States are mandating HEPA air filtration for classrooms. The LakeAir Maxum HEPA and LAFC HEPA are very good choices for the school room. The Maxum HEPA is a tabletop air purifier that can provide the average sized classroom with 5 Air changes per hour. The noise level can be reduced to a comfortable teaching level with the variable speed controller. ~ 500 CFM
The permanent installation of a LAFC-RC2 HEPA in a class room will provide superb air filtration with very low noise levels. This could easily be the best option for schools. The LAFC-RC2 can be mounted to the ceiling or into a drop ceiling grid. However when it is done, this will be a great addition to a learning environment. ~ 900 CFM
The LAFC-RC2- HEPA Air Purifier is a fairly addition to the LakeAir product line. This model is being used in doctors offices, casinos, fine restaurants and many other locations. This great product is now providing the needed protection in doctors and dentists offices. This quiet giant offers around 900 CFM of HEPA protection for todays new air filtering reality. The LAFC-RC2 produces 40 -65 dB(A) of background noise. We suggest you use 1125 square feet of area when you calculate how many units you might need for your application. Remember all medical buildings should be providing 6ACH of HEPA air filtration in all areas.
The LA2 line is a another new addition to the LakeAir Product line. These units are based on the famous LA2000 design. The difference is centrifugal blowers vs radial fans. The reverse curve blowers are designed to pull air through dense HEPA filters. These 6 inch and 4 inch HEPA filters provide the HEPA protection required in today’s new air filtration reality. The RC1 provides around 600 CFM and the RC2 around 1100 CFM. These units also provide superior odor control with multiple stage activated carbon filters. Refer to the calculator above to determine the amount of LA2 filtration your commercial space needs. The LA2-RC2 uses 2 1000+ CFM blowers, so, on turbo it has a sound level of up to 71 dB(A).
Most of the current HVAC systems in services around the world are not ready for HEPA. This is a solvable problem. The LAAS -800 and LAAS-1600 can convert these systems into ASHRAE compliant devices. By removing contaminated air from the central system and replacing it with ultra clean air the HVAC system in your building becomes an asset instead of a liability. It is important to work closely with your HVAC professional in the integration of the LAAS in your HVAC / IAQ strategy. The LAAS is available in many filter combinations. The Media / HEPA , HEPA/ Odor Control , and HEPA / UVG are the most popular today. CFM volumes across all combinations range from 600 to 1800 CFM. These numbers are base output figures. Additional ductwork will reduce the actual airflow that is realized. You can contact our customer service specialist at 800-558-9436 for more information.
In the ASHRAE Position Paper published in April 2020 , the recommendations for non medical buildings stated that all air purification systems be enhanced to achieve a minimum of MERV 13 air filtration. There are a few ways to implement this. One such way is to replace existing filters with MERV 13 rated media. This may not be feasible due system blower limitations. The second method would be augmenting the current system with electrostatic precipitator filtration.
Electrostatic Filtration from LakeAir has a MERV 16 equivalency. This is 3 levels above the level required in non medical buildings. Recent studies suggest electrostatic precipitators like the ones used in LakeAir Products can capture 95% of COVID sized particle from the air stream. Two other considerations help make a MAX-700 a good choice. Low cost of overall operation and noise level. The washable permanent filter reduces filter replacement costs. The filter will need to be washed regularly (every 3 months) to keep the high efficiency levels. The MAX-700 was recently tested at 40-65 dB(A) while providing up to 750 CFM of clean air. This unit removes all the common household pollutants including mold, pet hair, dander, pollen dust and smoke. Add competent microbial filtration and the MAX-700 is a good choice for the home.
The LA2000, LA1400 and LAFC models are available with an Electrostatic Precipitator filter system. These systems will quickly bring a commercial location into compliance with the new ASHRAE recommendations. They all offer low operating expenses and easy installation.
These units can also be purchased with MERV 14 High capacity filters. This brings the initial purchase price down by about 20%. These filters provide filtration that is well above minimum standards and provide long filter life using high dust load technology.
Some School Districts and Private Schools will be opting for a less aggressive air purification standard. For these schools who are highly sensitive to the cost of running and maintaining their air purification systems, electrostatic filtration may be a good answer. For these schools we would offer any of our electrostatic units. These models provide a high level of filtration without the costly filter replacement costs associated with HEPA systems.
Mold Magnet is a bio-molecular formulation that was developed to aid in the capture of biological microbes from an air stream. The initial intent of this solution was to provide better specimen capturing for test purposes. This scientific research aid was found to have the practical application of improved microbial filtration for the HVAC industry.
Mold Magnet has been tested by NIOSH / CDC to efficiently capture viral particles from air samples. In testing using standard HVAC filters, Mold Magnet provided 1000 times higher capture rates for microbes than filters that were not treated with Mold Magnet. In lower quality filters, like standard home furnace filters, the MERV Rating was increased up to 7 units. For example, a MERV 6 Filter would effectively capture microbes like mold, bacteria and viruses more like a MERV 13 filter.
This article was produced to help the visitors of our site find useful answers to the many new questions that COVID-19 has brought about. LakeAir products are not the only answer to all air purification needs. We encourage you to use the information presented here to find the right answer for you and all the people you have been entrusted to protect. If we can be of further assistance please reach out to us by phone, email or website chat. We will get through this together.
https://www.ashrae.org/file%20library/about/position%20documents/pd_infectiousaerosols_2020.pdf
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20170005166.pdf
https://www.facilitiesnet.com/healthcarefacilities/article/Minimizing-Coronavirus-Transmission-through-Hospital-Mechanical-and-Plumbing-Systems–18855
Alexeter Technologies LLC
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/30/new-covid-vaccines-needed-within-year-say-scientists