At LakeAir, We pride ourselves in being dedicated to helping our customers have the best smoking rooms possible. Whether you are planning an upscale cigar lounge in Las Vegas or a humble mancave in your basement, LakeAir can help you achieve the results you are looking for. Our customers range from huge casinos like Potawatomi Milwaukee to Cigar shops like the Brass Pipe in Fort Pierce. We help with residential homes that cost millions on lake Erie in New York to small hunting camps in western Minnesota. We supply smoke eaters to many American Legions, VFW’s, Elks and Moose lodges across our country. We even ship our products and technology to customers across the globe. If it has to do with cleaning the air in a smoky environment, LakeAir is the only name you need to know.
Not only do we help with the clean air aspects, but we are deeply involved with organizations that protect and champion smoking rights. We are members of the Premium Cigar Association, The Boutique Cigar Association and the Cigar Rights of America. We are involved with the people who run the Chicago and the Las Vegas Pipe shows. We help our friends and customers find connections in the smoking world. In short we are more than an air purifier company, we are part of the smoking community. More than advocating smoking rights, but we also promote and encourage safe smoking practices.
You may not inhale your cigar the first time, but don’t be fooled, unless you have a very good smoke removal system, you are inhaling enough smoke to be hazardous to your health.
The information on this page applies to commercial and private smoking rooms rooms. If you are building a private smoking room and want to use commercial equipment we can help you scale your project accordingly. If you have a commercial location with lower volume we can help you effectively use products traditionally used in homes. If our offering of information leaves out some points you need, please call us at 800-558-9436. We will be glad to help you with any stage of planning or purchases you might need.
A good piece of news is all LakeAir Products in this section are good at removing smoke. There is however an order to their effectiveness. These filters are described in great detail in many places on our website. You can click the associated links if you want to look at the specifics of each filter type.
Every LakeAir Product includes an odor removal element. These elements are quantified into 3 levels. Like smoke removal filters our carbon filters have been discussed in may places on the website, if you would like to review this information see this informative section smoke odor elimination.
Having clean air in your smoking room is great! You can have that clean air with less background noise if you plan properly. If you plan for a larger unit or perhaps even an extra unit you can set your system to run at a lower speed. Air purifiers use powerful blowers to move air through the filters. A LakeAir Air Purifier or Smoke Eater running at full speed produces 66-72 decibels of sound. This level of sound is about the same as the sound of a crowded restaurant. To reduce the noise level but keep the same amount of air cleaning we will need to add more cleaning power. Click the Interactive Noise Level Demonstration to see how adding extra air purifying can affect the background sound levels in your smoking room.
Lets look at the following example: Below you see an interactive demonstration. The demo is set to calculate noise levels for a 500 square foot room with 8 foot high ceilings.
This demo calculates everything dynamically. So, as you make changes in the fields the results change.
To demonstrate how much additional air purification is needed to reduce noise levels in the room, adjust the Noise Level Setting to the right 1 notch. Doing this changes noise reduction to 15%. We see the comparable noise level switches from crowded restaurant to normal conversation. At the same time the Total CFM increased to 1794.5. This demonstrates that to lower the background noise, and keep the same air purification level, we have to increase the air flow rate.
Let’s chose a Filtration Type Select HEPA. when we select HEPA filtration new information pops up below. We are given a summary that shows we are currently set for 15% Background Noise Reduction, that we have chosen HEPA Filtration and to achieve our goal of a room of 500 Square feet we will need 2 LakeAir Smoke Eaters.
All of the controls on the “Noise Level Demonstration” are adjustable. We urge you to try this tool and look at the possibilities of clean air with low level noise that is available to you.
Budgeting for your smoking room is crucial, and this guide provides insights into key cost areas:
Remember:
Creating a budget for your smoking room is a great way to get started. Whether you are putting a smoking area into home or you are establishing a commercial lounge a budget is going to help you shape the environment you can enjoy and afford. In this section we will look at rough numbers for:
for the sake of simplicity we will use an average of the cost for electrostatic and HEPA filtration equipment. Because each smoke eater accounts for a fairly large volume of air it is fairly likely that your cost will vary when your space size falls in between unit capacities.
We will present 4 options:
Basic Smoke Removal: Basic smoke removal level is less than the amount we recommend. Basic smoke removal level (10 air changes per hour) is the level we suggest for a private smoking are with a couple of people smoking. The average cost for this level of smoke removal is $3.05 per square foot (with a 9 foot high ceiling) . If your ceiling is higher or lower you can adjust the cost accordingly
Improved Smoke Removal: An improved smoke level (15 air changes per hour) is also less than our recommendation. This level will remove the majority of the smoke but a haze will linger with heavier smoking. The average cost for improved smoke removal equipment is $4.55 per square foot. Again, this cost is based on a 9 foot high ceiling and you should adjust your cost accordingly.
Enhanced Smoke Removal: Enhanced smoke removal uses the figure of 20 air changes per hour and this is the level should be relatively free of smoke. A haze may develop at peak surges. The calculated average equipment cost for enhanced smoke removal equipment is $6.15 per square foot. Remember to make adjustments to your cost based on your actual ceiling height above or below 9 feet.
Premium Smoke Removal: 25 air changes per hour is the standard set for premium smoke removal. Based an the 9 foot ceiling height a cost of $7.65 per square foot has been calculated. This level of smoke removal is considered to be overkill by most, but certainly provides a great environment for smoking enjoyment.
The cost listed above are rough estimates that are prone to changes. Every room and every project presents unique challenges. This is a budgetary figure to help you plan your smoking area. We will present calculators to help you choose the actual equipment needed later on in this web page.
Installation of Smoke removal equipment varies widely. Depending on your personal skill sets or skill sets within your organization you may or may not be able to install this equipment yourself. We have seen installation costs range from $150.00 to $1500.00 per unit. It pays to shop around. A skilled HVAC professional can install a smoke eater in less than 2 hours including wiring. Each location will pose its own unique challenges. As a rule of thumb we suggest budgeting $400.00 per unit for installation.
Installation of a smoke eater is not rocket science and many shop owners have done a great job on their own. Having the right tools and supplies is the key. If you rent a lift either a scissor lift or a drywall lift the muscle required for installation is not that great. If you purchase a wiring kit, the electrical work is pretty easy. LakeAir offers a number of kits to help make your smoke eater installation a simple task. Know you can call our customer service number for advice on installation. We have fielded calls from many a customer and installer over the years and we can help you make sense of almost any issue.
By using a drywall jack you can easily lift your cigar air purifier into place. In this case we used the shipping cradle to protect the finish of the smoke removal equipment.
A wiring kit allows you to easily connect your air purification equipment to an electrical supply. The wires are all color coded for easy identification. The UL approved connectors are lever actuated for easy and sure connections. Wiring kits are sold by length of wire needed. The wire is rated for heavy equipment use and is moisture and heat resistant.
Budgeting for filter replacement costs involves choosing your filtration methods and setting your filtration standards. Replaceable filter cost more but require less effort. Washable filters require more maintenance and save you a bit of money. Regardless of which smoke removal filter type you choose, odor removal cost will be the the same.
Lets look at some basic estimates to allow you to budget your filter replacement costs. The figures presented are based on a per unit basis. There really isn’t a good way todo this on a square footage basis.
The best thing about electrostatic filters is, that they are washable. They offer good smoke removal but they require frequent cleaning. A clean electrostatic filter cell removes 97% of the smoke that passes through it. as it get dirty that percentage drops. We estimate the efficiency drop is 1-4 percent a week. So, in 12 weeks your filter efficiency may have dropped as low as 30%.
Washing the electrostatic filter takes a bit of time. We estimate 2 hours per unit for a single cleaning. This can be done easily if you have a dishwasher handy. As to a dollar figure we estimate about $400.00 of labor and cleaning supplies per Year per unit
HEPA Filtration is the most efficient filtration offered. it removes 99.97% of the smoke from the air. Replacing the filters are easy. You pull out the old filter, throw it away and install the new one. The rub for most cigar shop owners is the replacement cost.
How often you need to replace the HEPA filter comes down to the volume of smoke that is put into the air. The casinos we service replace the HEPA filter every 3 months. Many of the more popular cigar lounges and cigar shops replace them every 6 months. Start ups and less popular establishments will replace the HEPA filter once a year.
Keeping the frequency in mind you can expect to spend $225 to $450 on HEPA filter per unit a year. (these prices are based on the savings provided by using our filter subscription)
More and More we are seeing a shift in filtration priorities. Removal of odor from the smoking establishment has never been as important as it is today. The only way to remove smoke odor is with odor adsorbing media. The cost of “carbon” filters is one of the normal expenses in keeping the air clean in your cigar lounge.
We offer multiple levels of odor removal in all of our smoke eaters. We will refer to these as basic, enhanced and premium odor removing levels below is the annual budget for each level of odor removal
Basic odor removal is accomplished using ≅ 500 gram carbon filters that are replaced every 3 months.
Enhanced odor removal is accomplished using ≅ 1000 gram carbon filters that are replaced every 4 months.
premium odor removal is accomplished using ≅ 2000 gram carbon filters that are replaced every 4 months.
LakeAir is here to supply you with the air filtration for your smoking room. The question is, how much air purification do I need? We will answer this question and introduce the idea of adding Ventilation to help manage smoke when it get thicker than normal. Ventilation can also lower the costs of equipment purchases. If you need help using the Air Purification / Ventilation Calculator we have detailed instructions. To see the Instructions, just click on the Calculator Instructions tab below. Otherwise you can continue to the calculator now.
By taking these 3 steps you can improve the air quality in your cigar establishment. These steps include
The following calculating tool allows you to input most of the pertinent information about your shop. Here is a list of the things you will enter. We will explain them so its easy to understand. Experimenting with the Cigar Shop Ventilation Calculator will help
(1) Enter the size of your shop. This information should be entered in the number of feet. You will enter the smoking area’s length, width and ceiling height. If the ceiling is sloped,, enter the average height. The areas square footage is shown in the right most display. If there are rooms in this area that don’t need air purification reduce the size by that amount. Don’t worry if you are a little off. This tool is to give you approximates. We can always adjust the final figures later.
(2) Choose a split between air purification and ventilation. A Slider is provided for this selection, the slider is broken down in increments of 5%. The more Air Purification you choose the higher your initial cost of equipment will be. There will also be a higher cost in filter maintenance. On the other hand the more Ventilation you choose the higher your HVAC bills will be. In some cases local ordinances may limit how much smoke you can evacuate to the outside of your building. in still other cases it may not be possible to vent your smoke outside at all.
(3) Choose a level of air purification. You have 4 choices,10-13 ACH (air changes per hour) is the default and the minimum level you should choose. This level will remove a good bit of smoke but expect a smoky haze may be present as your shop gets more busy. 14-16 ACH will remove the smoke pretty well even when your shop is moderately busy. 17-20 ACH is where we like to steer people. At this level of air purification, your shop air is clean and only gets hazy when you are very busy. 21-25 ACH gives your shop very clean air. Running your air purifiers at this level will likely make your shop the cleanest in the area.
(4) For some shop owners the amount of background noise created by the air purification is not an issue, others want their shops to be quiet. The 4th choice on the calculator chooses a noise level. The calculator adds a percentage of CFM to the total needed based on your choice. “Background noise not a Concern” calculates your air purification & ventilation needs based on running your equipment a full speed. This setting obviously will leave you the most (and loudest) background noise. Moderate Background Noise, calculates your required air volume +46%. This will allow you to have your desired cleaning level with 25% of the noise. The 3rd level of noise reduction adds 75% more cleaning volume to your total requirement. This amount of air purification will allow you to operate at your prescribed air quality level and provide a 50% noise reduction. The highest level of noise reduction shown in our calculator is 75%. At this level of noise reduction it will take 150% more cleaning volume to achieve the 75% noise reduction. The Calculator also provides a you with an example of this sound level in real world terms.
(5) In this section you can choose a filtration type. You will notice as you choose different filtration types you final cost goes up and down. Each filtration type has its pluses and minuses.
The first part section provides you with information on your total air flow requirements, based on the choices made further up in the calculator. This entire section is calculated “dynamically” and provides instant results as you change any information entered above.
The summary shows you what you chose above and what the resulting choices represents in the cost of cleaning the air in your Cigar shop / lounge / bar. The summary provides an estimate on what your replacement filter cost will be based on your filtration type. This cost is based on average costs and our recommended filter replacement schedules.
We strongly suggest you play with the settings. Look at how performance and cost is affected by changing the different variables. If you would like help or more information about using the calculator please call 262-632-1229 for personal help.
This calculator is to educate the consumer. Whether you buy your air purification system from LakeAir or another company the results are going to be fairly close. We use sound and power statistics provided by the blower manufacturer. These air volume and resulting noise levels are documented and reliable.
Lastly if you would like to have us contact you with more information add your email address and phone number in the last fields and hit submit. One of our Air Purification specialist will contact you.
By combining room ventilation with air purification Viso Cigars in McKinney Texas gets the benefit of lower air conditioning costs and a lower cost of smoke eating equipment. The (4) LakeAir HEPA smoke eaters do a great job removing smoke from the shop. If the smoke ever gets to thick the ventilation system can quickly remove the excess smoke. This combination allows Viso to keep the temperature inside at 68 even when its 103 degrees outside.
For a busy cigar establishment achieving the 20 air change per hour goal can be pretty expensive. You probably only need the full 20 air changes when the shop is at peak capacity. Depending on your customer traffic cycle you may only need full strength air purification a few hours a night.
You can supplement air purification with up to 40% ventilation. This can save the average shop thousands of dollars in air purification equipment cost. Inversely, your HVAC bills may cost you more.
Adding a power vent to remove the cigar smoke is one approach. A power vent will pull smoky air from your shop and dump it outside. Clean air from neighboring areas or outside will fill the void. Clean air from outside is the best way to clean the air in shop. However its not always the most cost effective. Depending on your location you maybe spending more when you exhaust air that you have paid to heat or cool.
In almost all instances adding clean air form outside is a good idea. By removing smoky air you are not only removing smoke, but some poisonous gases. Some of these gases like carbon monoxide cannot be removed by air purification. Finding the balance between ventilation and air purification is the sweet spot.
Choosing when to use your ventilation system is Key. The Best times to use your ventilation system are:
Through out our website we talk about what is the best way to filter the smoke from air. The truth is there is no single answer. Every location and every situation may require a separate approach. In the next section we will briefly visit the 3 options in filtration.
HEPA filtration offers the cleanest air in a single pass. Smoke goes in and never comes out. HEPA filtration is easy to maintain. In the busiest of cigar lounges the Filter only needs to be changed every 6 months.
The downside is HEPA filtration costs 33% more than its less efficient cousin the MERV 15 filter. It also allows 18% less air flow. However with a properly sized blower it more than makes up for it in overall efficiency.
In Comparing the HEPA filter to it’s electrostatic counterpart, when looking at clean air flow it has 25% less clean air flow. The trade-off is the need for regular filter washing (about every 8 weeks).
Overall we suggest HEPA Filtration more often than any other filtration type.
An Electrostatic Filter Cell offers great smoke removal along with a higher volume of air flow. The 97% efficiency exceeds all media filters. Only the HEPA filter provides cleaner air in a single pass. In a standard system the filter replacement cost is 58% less than the average HEPA/Media system.
The downside here is the average 11% higher cost in equipment and the extra work needed to remove, wash and replace the electrostatic filter cell. Figure on spending 1-2 hours a month cleaning the filter cell every 8 weeks.
When the filter cell is clean, the system achieves that 97% efficiency. We estimate that the filter loses 1-3% efficiency every week by the time 8 weeks are up the efficiency could drop to low as 73%.
The MERV 15 filter provides shop owners an acceptable way to clean the air even if they are a tight budget. MERV 15 units cost 11% less than their more efficient counter parts. The filters remove 95% of the smoke from the air. They are easy to replace and you can always substitute a HEPA Filter at any time in the future.
The only real downside to MERV 15 filtration is the lower cleaning efficiency.
LakeAir Products are designed with maintenance in mind. Our products are generational and will be around a long time. Over their lifespan some repairs are likely to be required. The product design is to make needed repairs easy and inexpensive. When you mount a LakeAir product in your home or business it should never need to be removed.
LakeAir uses simple parts that are flush mounted into the face of the smoke eater. These parts snap in and out for easy removal should it be necessary. These parts are common in many appliances and are readily kept in stock. Best of all our parts are reasonably priced.
We design all of our products to be simple to build, making them simple to repair. The image above is all the wiring you would have to do to replace 2 blowers. You can see everything is color coded. Products that last a generation are likely to need repairs, why not make those repairs easy?
Our design is built around ease of repair. We design units to be repaired and maintained in place. Our products are repairable by common people like you and me. The average shop owner can maintain his own smoke removal equipment if he chooses to. clean air isn’t rocket science its plain common sense.
Why should you listen to the team at LakeAir about cigar room air quality? There are a couple of reasons:
LakeAir deidcates a large portion of its attention to the Cigar Industry. The Cigar Industry is important to LakeAir.
LakeAir Cigar Smoke Eaters mount anywhere from the Floor to the Ceiling and everywhere in between
LakeAir believes an informed consumer makes the best customer. Learn about your needs at LakeAir.
There are many aspects that create the best experience for a cigar lover. First of all you need to start with a great cigar. We will leave that to you. Creating an environment where your customers can truly enjoy that cigar, that’s something we can help with.
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