Air Purification vs Full Ventilation
Over the years, we’ve worked with hundreds of shop owners to figure out the best way to handle smoke. Every lounge has its own set of challenges—whether it’s an old storefront with limited power or a high-end build with strict local codes. Because no two spaces are the same, we start by looking at your specific floor plan and goals to find a solution that actually works without breaking the bank
If you are asking yourself, “why should I Listen to LakeAir? Let me say this plainly: I’ve been doing this long enough that the State House of Representatives and Senate asked me to testify on air purification and ventilation. I’m not saying that to brag. I’m saying it because you deserve advice from someone who understands how this works in the real world—not just on paper.
You are incharge - Not the Architect or Engineers
When it comes to your lounge, remember that you are the one in charge—not the engineers or architects. Their technical expertise is valuable, but many will default to standard “by-the-book” ventilation designs that can drive major equipment costs and long-term utility bills. They don’t have to live with those expenses or manage your customers’ comfort day after day—you do. LakeAir helps you evaluate options using real-world performance data so you can balance code compliance with the experience you want to deliver and the operating cost you’re willing to carry. And yes, sometimes that clarity saves serious money: in one Minnesota project, we helped an owner avoid roughly $40,000 in unnecessary mechanical scope. We’ll explain the economics and decision logic further down this page.
Examining the Two Choices of Air Handling in a Cigar Lounge
Below are two common approaches to air handling in a cigar lounge. Both can be designed to meet code. The difference is cost, comfort, and how reliably the system controls smoke in real-world operation.
Air Purification with Minimal Ventilation
The Efficiency Advantage: Air Purification with Minimal Ventilation
Instead of trying to “out-ventilate” smoke with a massive, expensive rooftop unit (RTU), the LakeAir method uses one of our dedicated systems to clean and recirculate the air already inside your lounge. Think of it this way: filtration removes smoke by capture, while ventilation removes smoke by dilution. A great lounge needs both, but they shouldn’t be doing the same job.
By removing 99.97% of smoke and adsorbing odors locally, you only need an ERV to supply enough fresh air to meet local building codes and maintain proper oxygen levels. This shift in strategy offers a few massive advantages:
Massive Energy Savings: You stop paying to heat or cool 100% outside air. Our ERV systems capture up to 80% of the energy from your exhaust air before it leaves the building, helping keep your utility bills under control.
Superior Comfort: You won’t have to deal with the “cold spots” or heavy drafts that come with high-volume outdoor air intake. Because the air is filtered and recirculated, your lounge stays at a consistent, comfortable temperature for your guests.
Targeted Smoke Capture: LakeAir smoke eaters are air-cleaning powerhouses. They are designed to filter smoke, leaving clean air for your patrons horizontally, scrubbing the air in just one or two passes.
Reduced Equipment Strain: When your purification system handles the “heavy lifting” of smoke removal, your main HVAC system can return to its intended role: controlling temperature. This extends the life of your expensive equipment and prevents premature failure from smoke buildup.
The Equipment budget for the LakeAir system is around $13.00 per square foot (Call 800-558-9436 for a personal quote)
- Approved Filter Types: The LakeAir method depends on a HEPA filter that is tested to be 99.97% efficient. A MERV filter, or an Electrostatic filter, is not usable in the challenge to city codes that mirror the IMC (International Mechanical Code)
Air Dilution with a RTU (roof top unit)
The Ventilation-First Approach
The other common method is to treat cigar smoke primarily as a ventilation problem. Instead of cleaning the air inside the lounge, the goal is to remove smoke by exhausting indoor air and replacing it with outdoor air—typically using a large rooftop unit (RTU), an economizer strategy, and sometimes a Dedicated Outdoor Air System (DOAS) or other make-up air system.
This is the standard “by-the-book” HVAC approach, and in some situations, it can work. But cigar smoke is not a normal load; it is dense, persistent, and particulate-heavy. This means the amount of outdoor air required to keep haze down can get very large, very quickly.
Think of it this way: Ventilation reduces smoke by dilution. It doesn’t capture or remove smoke particles—it replaces the air and hopes the concentration drops fast enough.
Where the RTU Method Makes Sense
New construction with strong mechanical capacity: If you are building from scratch and have the budget for high-capacity equipment and extensive ductwork.
Extreme outdoor air compliance: While it is very rare, sometimes local codes or architectural requirements mandate high volumes of fresh air.
Spaces with limited interior footprint: When you cannot have units hanging from the ceiling or sitting on the floor, and prefer all hardware to be outside.
- If Cost is no Concern: If you have no budget limitations or you have that rare case where your municipality has created so strict a code (very rare) then the RTU maybe your only recourse.
The Real-World Tradeoffs
High Energy Cost: You pay to heat, cool, or dehumidify 100% outside air constantly.
Comfort Issues: Large volumes of outside air often create “cold spots,” drafts, and humidity swings that can ruin a lounge’s atmosphere.
Dilution vs. Capture: Ventilation only thins out the smoke; it doesn’t remove the heavy particulates like a smoke eater does.
The Equipment Budget: The cost of installing a system in which a single large RTU handles the entire workload ranges from $24 to $40 per square foot.
Real World Examples
Below are a few real-world examples of where we were able to save lounge owners thousands of dollars and alot of time.
North Star Cigar Lounge
Saved $40,000.00
The North Star Cigar Lounge is a perfect example of the LakeAir System at work. The Original engineer and HVAC contractor presented the owner with a 20-ton ventilation system. This system had a price tag of over $80,000.00.
We convinced the lounge owner to hire a new engineering firm. We spoke with the new firm and we contacted the Blaine City inspectors. After it was all said and done, the price tag for an excellent air purification system came in at just over $40,000.00 less expensive.
This project is set to open in early 2026
Tyson Club
Ventilation budget reduced $30,000
The Tyson club held a budget meeting to finalize the air-cleaning system. The Club’s director asked LakeAir to bring its ideas to the group.
The engineering firm was unaware of the code provisions that would enable a more cost-effective system, after we explained which codes we were targeting and that we had already successfully presented our case to multiple municipalities in different states. The firm readily agreed to change the air handling for the Tyson Club. The changes has resulted in the total club budget being dropped by $30,000.00
This project is set to open in Summer 2026
The Gatsby
Established a Viable System
The owners of The Gatsby met with the LakeAir team. The goal of the meeting was to establish an air handling plan for the upcoming project. Different systems were brought forward, and they were each evaluated.
It was clear the venue would require a system that met the IMC Code. One company’s MERV 15 filter system was rejected because the resulting air quality would not meet the International Mechanical Code. Another company’s electrostatic filter offering had to be removed because of the lack of a maintainable maintenance system. Click the LA2-RC2-HOC link for an example of a system that meets the IMC Challenge
This meeting saved the lounge owners many weeks of work.