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Commercial Smoke Removal Systems

Commercial Smoke Eaters are used in several industries. LakeAir manufactures several models of smoke removal products. Finding the right product for our needs is not always a straightforward process. This page is dedicated to helping you find the proper commercial smoke eater and the right amount of smoke filtration. 

2 Feet x 4 Feet Ceiling Mounted and Ceiling Grid Mounted Systems

Models with Electrostatic Filtration Systems

Models with HEPA or Media Filtration Systems

  • LA2-RC2-EOC
  • 1500 CFM ( 6 Air Changes 2400 sq. ft. )
  • Variable Speed 41-72 dB(A) 
  • Electrostatic / Extra Large Carbon
  • 97% efficiency to 0.1 Micron
  • Superior Odor Control
  • $2800.00
  • LA2-RC2-HOC
  • 900 CFM ( 6 Air Changes 2400 sq. ft. )
  • Variable Speed 41-72 dB(A) 
  • True HEPA/ Extra Large Carbon
  • 99.97% efficiency to 0.3 Micron
  • Superior Odor Control
  • $2500.00

Portable Commercial Air Purifying Systems

  • 400 – 1500 CFM
  • Smoke and Odor Removal
  • Electrostatic and Carbon Filter
  • Variable Speed Control
  • Filter Cell 16 x 20 x 5
  • $2800.00 

  • 200 – 900 CFM
  • Smoke and Odor Removal
  • Pre Filter / HEPA / Carbon Filter
  • Variable Speed control
  • HEPA Filter  16 x 20 x 5
  • $2500.00

  • 350- 1100 CFM
  • Smoke and Odor Removal
  • Pre Filter / MERV 15 / Carbon
  • Variable speed control
  • 98%  Efficient to 0.3 Micron
  • $2400.00

Ceiling Hung / Wall Mounted / Cart Commercial Air Purifying Systems

Electrostatic Propeller Powered Units

Single Blower Smoke Eater Air Scrubber

LAAS Air Scrubber by LakeAir
  • 6 Different Filtration Combination
  • Electrostatic, True HEPA and Odor Control
  • 300 – 950 CFM
  • 12″ standard Duct Adapter
  • $1600.00 – $2995.00

Double Blower Smoke Eater Air Scrubber

LAAS-1600 Air Scrubber
  • 6 Different Filtration Combination
  • Electrostatic, True HEPA and Odor Control
  • 600 – 1900 CFM
  • 12″ standard Duct Adapter
  • $1795.00 – $2600.00

2 Foot by 2 Foot Compact Ceiling Mount and Ceiling Grid Commercial Systems

  • 300 – 800 CFM
  • Smoke and Odor Removal
  • Electrostatic and Carbon Filter
  • Variable Speed Control
  • 2′ x 2  Ceiling Grid /  Ceiling Hung  
  • $1950.00 

  • 200 – 500 CFM
  • Smoke and Odor Removal
  • Pre Filter / HEPA / Carbon Filter
  • Variable Speed control
  • 2′ x 2  Ceiling Grid /  Ceiling Hung  
  • $1850.00

  • 250- 650 CFM
  • Smoke and Odor Removal
  • MERV 15 and Carbon Filter
  • Variable Speed control
  • 2′ x 2  Ceiling Grid /  Ceiling Hung  
  • $1750.00

LakeAir Commercial Smoke Eaters are used in Cigar Shops all over the USA

LakeAir provides commercial smoke removal for commercial smoking venues in almost every state. We help clean the air in bars, casinos, vape, and hookah establishments, and numerous cigar shops and lounges. In the section below, we showcase just a handful of our success stories. Each slide provides the smoking venue’s name and city. We provide a photo of the facility and list the type and amount of commercial smoke cleaners used in these places. When you need a commercial smoke removal system, turn to America’s Cigar Air Purifier. 

Choosing the Right Smoke Eater

There are many questions to ask yourself when choosing which smoke eater product is best suited for your business:

  • How do I want to mount the smoke eater?
  • What is the best Filtration for my business?
  • How much filtration do I need
  • How will I control the smoke eater
  •  

Commercial Smoke Eater Mounting Options

LakeAir Provides 7 different ways to mount your Smoke Eater

  • Flush Ceiling Mount
  • Attached to Ceiling
  • Ceiling Hung
  • Wall Mounted
  • Flush Wall Mount
  • Remotely Ducted (Air Scrubber)
  • Cart Mount

Flush Ceiling

The LakeAir LAFC was designed to fit easily into a 2′ x 4′ ceiling grid.  The 2x2CM units mount in a  2′ x 2′ ceiling grid, hence the name. These smoke eaters are light enough to be easily suspended from the same framework supporting the drop ceiling grid. Each model comes with four eyebolts that attach to the top of the unit for easy hanger attachment. Flush ceiling-mounted units blend into the surroundings, and they work

Direct to Ceiling

Mounting brackets allow you to mount the LAFC and 2 x2 models directly to the ceiling, screwing into the existing ceiling rafters. The brackets are made of formed 14 gauge steel and efficiently support the weight of your smoke eater. 

Ceiling Hung

LA2, LAFC, and CM2 smoke eater models can be ceiling-hung. All commercial smoke removal products have 4 welded nut inserts that can support the units in a ceiling-hung operation. Ceiling-hung installation has the advantage of easy relocation as you experiment with the optimum arrangement for your unique shop environment.

Wall Mounted

With Part# 101091 wall mount kit, you can mount your LA2 smoke air purifier on the wall. The bracket mounts the unit parallel to the wall, moving the air around the room. This sturdy wall mount is designed for 16″ centers.

Flush Mount in Wall

LakeAir is the first air purifier manufacturer to offer an air purifying system designed to be mounted in the wall. The WM-RC2 models can be placed in the wall. They require a hole size of 21.25 inches wide and 30.30 inches tall. The WM-RC2- requires a depth of 11 inches to allow the unit’s mechanical components to sit inside the wall. The shell’s exterior protruding into the next space is vinyl-coated steel. This allows the backside to be exposed in the adjacent space without being unsightly.  The design is meant to mount the unit about five or more feet above the ground. The exhaust will be at the top of the unit and help circulate clean air throughout the room.

Ducted (Air Scrubber Smoke Eaters)

The LAAS models are designed to hook up to ducts. They can be custom-fitted for any 14-inch or square duct. The standard duct adapter size is 12″ round. These units provide from 300 to 1500 CFM of air purification from the units. Remember, As air moves through ductwork, it loses volume due to friction. Excessive long runs and turns significantly affect the resulting volume of airflow. For standard smooth metal duct work, we suggest you budget for a 3% loss for 20 feet of duct work and a 7% loss on 90-degree turns.

Cart or Caster Mounted

There are occasions when your smoke removal needs to be portable. All LA2 models can be mounted on carts or have casters attached. The rubber feet can be unscrewed and then cushioned for mounting bolts.

Mounting Options Summary

For most smoking venues, the mounted flush to the ceiling is usually the mounting option. The most popular flush-to-ceiling mount is the LAFC-RC2-HEPA.  Ceiling hung is another popular option. The LA2-RC2-EOC  provides 1500 CFM of smoke removal and the best odor removal. This unit is extremely popular in smoking venues with taller ceilings.  In the future, we expect many smoking establishments will use our new flush-to-the-wall unit. Regardless of your space, LakeAir has the smoke eater and mounting solution that will work for your business.

Commercial Smoke Eater Filter Options

LakeAir Smoke Eliminating products offer 4 types of filtration. Each filtration type has its positive and negative attributes.  The LA2 platform will allow you to combine these types of filtration and even add other options as well.

  • HEPA
  • Electrostatic
  • MERV 15 Smoke Guard
  • Activated Carbon

HEPA Smoke Removal

HEPA filters are the most effective at removing smoke. True HEPA filters 99.97% of particles. However, they have drawbacks. If the air purifier blower is not powerful enough, it moves too little air to be effective. They have a higher maintenance cost due to the cost of filter replacement. LakeAir HEPA Smoke Eaters Use True HEPA filters, not HEPA-type filters.

Why Choose HEPA Filters for Smoke Removal

PRO’S

  • HEPA filters don’t have to be washed; they change out quickly
  • HEPA Filters capture 99.97% of all indoor pollutants
  • HEPA Filters produce no Ozone

CON’S

  • HEPA filters replacement costs $175- $250 (1 or more times a year)
  • Discarded HEPA filters add toxic waste to landfills
  • HEPA filter units typically have lower CFM Capacity

How Air Filters Trap Smoke.

Filters work in an air purifier in 3 ways. These methods of trapping dirt particles are called mechanical methods. The first method is impaction.  When smoke tries to go through the tight weave of a filter, it is trapped. The second method is interception: When a smoke particle gets close enough to a filter fiber, it is caught and trapped. The third mechanical method is diffusion. In a filter, diffusion causes the smaller particles to move out of the central air stream. The small particle matter moves slower. Then, it is trapped by the first two methods.

How a filter traps dirt in a home air purifiier

Electrostatic Smoke Removal

A LakeAir Electrostatic smoke eater uses two types of air filter technologies. The first air filter is an electrostatic precipitator. Smoke is given an electrical charge in the first section. In the second section, the smoke is attracted to the aluminum plates just like metal to a magnet. The particles are trapped on the plates until they are washed away. Our electrostatic cells are 97% efficient on smoke particles as small as .1 microns. They have a low maintenance cost but must be kept clean to be genuinely efficient.

Why Choose Electrostatic Smoke Removal

PRO’S

  • Electrostatic filters are washable saving you money
  • Electrostatic filters are open and allow more air flow
  • Electrostatic filters reduce landfill use

CON’S

  • Electrostatic filters produce 0.5 parts per million Ozone
  • Electrostatic filters need regular cleaning to be effective
  • Electrostatic filters sometimes make a “popping” noise

The Electrostatic Smoke Filtering Process

Electrostatic air purification is a two-stage filtering system. In the first stage, the smoky air is drawn through the particle ionizer, where the smoke in the air is given a negative charge. The second stage is a series of collection plates. The charged smoke particles are attracted to the plates and trapped. The smoke remains on the filter plates until it is removed when the filter is washed. 

Electronic Air Cleaner Illustration for home air purifiers

Electrostatic Filter Cell Essentials ( Regular Cleaning)

Electrostatic smoke removal depends on residency time (how long smoke is in contact with the filter) and relatively clean filter plates. To help your filter cell work well, wash it regularly. If you don’t keep the filter clean, you are likely to encounter a snapping noise, much like a bug zapper. This noise will tell you it’s time to clean your electrostatic filter. The two videos below touch on both of these subjects.

Dirty Electrostatic Cell Needs to be washed regularily
A Dirty Filter Cell is Less Efficient

MERV 15 Smoke Guard Filter

Starting in 2022, LakeAir will offer a 3rd Smoke Removal Filter option. The MERV 15 Smoke Guard filter will remove most tobacco smoke. This filter has a lower back pressure rating than the True HEPA filter. This allows more air to pass through the Smoke Guard. The replacement cost will be lower than that of a HEPA filter.  Customers often request a low-cost filter that performs well without electrostatic filtration. This filter can be used in place of either the true HEPA or Electrostatic Filter Cell. Call our customer service number, 800-558-9436, for ordering information.

Activated Carbon Smoke Odor Removal

The best and safest way to remove smoke odors is via activated carbon filters. Each LakeAir product includes carbon filtration. When choosing your commercial smoke removal system you will likely have options as to how much carbon filtration you want to purchase. Some venues don’t care about odor, for others it is a primary concern. Whatever camp you are in LakeAir has the smoke odor removal product for you.

Effective Odor Removal

Carbon filtration removes smoke odors and more importantly harmful VOC’s from your business. Every LakeAir Smoke Eater comes with a carbon filter. Most of our products have 2 options standard and super carbon filters. Standard filters are made of mesh and carbon media. They absorb odors well, but the volume they can absorb is much less than needed by a smoky venue. The Super Carbon filters contain over 30 times more carbon and can absorb many more odors than a standard carbon filter. Some products offer Ultra carbon filter they have as much a 1000 times more carbon

Carbon filters sometimes called charcoal filters, take odor out of the air. This is accomplished through a process call absorption. Activated carbon has a  very porous structure, which allow gas particles to be trapped in the cracks and crevices of the carbon.

Carbon Structure

How Many (CFM) do I need?

The biggest mistake business owners make is under filtering the air. Installing an undersized commercial smoke eater system is just like installing too small an HVAC unit. To dissipate the heat of the air, you need a certain amount of cooling. Too small an air conditioner will not cool a room, and too small a smoke eater will not remove the smoke and its odor.

Air purification and smoke eaters are expensive. Maintaining your smoke eaters well will help, but you still need sufficient cleaning capacity. We have developed tools to help show you the volume of air purification required to clean the air of smoke.

Smoke Eater Capacity Calculator.

Understanding the Calculator Results

The smoke eater capacity calculator will give you a good idea of how much air purification you need in CFM (cubic feet per minute). It allows you to choose from different smoking activities like hookah and cigars. It also shows you how many types of LakeAir smoke eaters you need to keep the air clean.

The calculator does not consider the number of smokers or how heavily or lightly they might smoke. So, the results aren’t perfect, but they will give you a good idea of how many you need. The cost provided is strictly MSRP. If you buy three or more units, you will likely be qualified for a discount. We invite you to call and get our advice and special pricing.

In 2024, we introduced Bluetooth / WIFI controls for many commercial smoke eaters. The addition of this technology allows the customer to control the air purification equipment from any Bluetooth device. It also allows the ability to control multiple units at once. Setting your system to a schedule is another benefit

All of our smoke eaters have on and off switches on the unit. Some are equipped with variable speed controllers on the units themselves. In most cases, the customer controls the air purification from a wall switch. All of our units can have variable speed controls on the wall. If this method is being used, the units must be wired correctly. We send wire instructions with every unit, but often, these instructions are ignored, and the units either do not function properly or are damaged. Your warranty does not cover you for improper wiring that damages motors or controllers. You can find examples of our wiring diagrams on this wire diagram page.

Controlling Your Smoke Eaters Rotary Potentiometers VS WIFI

In 2024, we introduced Bluetooth / WIFI controls for many commercial smoke eaters. The addition of this technology allows the customer to control the air purification equipment from any Bluetooth device. It also allows the ability to control multiple units at once. The ability of setting your system to  schedules is another benefit. The image to the right is an image of the tablet that controls  the Air Purification and Ventilation at the Sunset Cigar Lounge in Henderson Nevada. 

Not only can you control our equipment from the native app (Smart Life). All of our systems are compatible popular automations systems including Lutron, Control4, and Savanah. We pride ourselves in having products that are on the cutting edge of technology. However, our technology does not abandon the tried and true air purification technologies.  

While Bluetooth control is available, it is an option. If you prefer to control your equipment in a more standard manner that option is available as well. You don’t have to worry about the advances in your equipment becoming obsolete. We have been very careful to build forward and backwards compatibilty in all of our producty designs.

Regardless of what controls you order with your lakeAir commercial smoke removal system, be sure to follow the wiring instructions. It is possible to connect the wires incorreectly a destro blowers or other internal parts. Damage that occurs from wiring errors is not covered by your waranty. If you are in any doubt call us at 800-558-9436.

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View of a tablet where the Sunset Cigar Lounge controls all their Air purification equipment