The importance of having clean air cannot be overstated or underestimated due to its numerous benefits across an entire house, as well as the discomfort and expenses it could save you throughout a year and beyond. Although many turn to portable air purification devices for better performance and impact on the house, we recommend the best medical-grade or hospital-grade whole-house air purifier.
These whole-house HEPA air cleaners or central air purifiers are designed to serve an entire house, hence the name whole house. Therefore, they are very competent in serving large areas, leaving behind clean air. Many of these devices could be said to possess hospital-grade air filtration capacity; therefore, they are recommended by professionals for prevention against petty infections in the air.
Hospital-grade HEPA air purifiers are devices with a higher air cleaning capacity compared to most of the random portable products you see around. They are carefully designed for all-around action and make a difference wherever it is used. If you’re reading this, then you intend to get one of these or are thinking about it at least, and that is precisely why we have put together this article, bringing the best products to your doorstep, as well as other things you should certainly know.
What are whole house central air purifiers?
Whole-house central air purifiers are a more centralized cleaning system compared to portable or simple whole-house devices. Many find it confusing to know the difference between this and other air purifier types, and we will be clarifying all of that shortly.
These central air cleaners are mainly designed to work with a newly installed or existing HVAC system in the home when filter-based, with another type being duct based, hence installed into the air duct path. The stand-alone system also exists and is mainly installed in closets or attics.
Depending on the type and design of your home, professional HVAC professionals would recommend the most suitable type for you, though you should have heads up by knowing that some are more expensive than others.
The central system doesn’t work like the portable whole house type, which cleans the air by dragging it into itself from the atmosphere directly; instead, it ensures that clean air circulates through the home’s ventilation system. Hence only clean air gets into the atmosphere.
In basic terms, one cleans the air before it gets to you, while the other cleans the air after it has been brought to you.
Types of whole house air purifier
As earlier stated, there are three types of whole-house air purifiers, which are the
- Filter-based whole house air purifier
- Duct-based whole house air purifier
- Stand-alone systems
These systems are designed and operate in very different ways compared to each other, though they all ultimately perform the primary task of riding the air from contamination.
The filter-based units are installed in HVAC furnace systems and every air intake point of the house. This cleans the air that comes directly into the home (including walls, ceilings, and other systems) from any form of air supply system or the external environment. It is, however, difficult to maintain, as well as being limited to the HVAC design of the home.
Duct-based units are installed at the duct path before or after the air handler in the central HVAC unit.
To be more precise, filters could be installed in one of either three locations:
- In one of the return air ductwork
- At the main point where the return air ductwork is located just before the air enters into the heating and cooling system
- In the air supply path of the ductwork
On the other hand, there are also standalone air cleaners, which need to be placed in a convenient position in the home and allowed to do the job of air cycling.
Most of the best medical-grade air purifiers reviewed in this article are stand-alone due to their mobility merit.
Top 5 Best medical air purifier reviews
1) IQAir Medical-Grade Air Purifier
Special features: medical-grade air purifier, triple seal technology, powerful fan, even flow diffuser, item weight; 32 pounds
In the world of air purifiers, IQAir is well known, having been in the business for so many years, and over time has made products that are synonymous with one word, quality. They design and manufacture top-notch products, and the Medical-Grade Air 899 is no exception.
Being designed to be stationed in an area of the home, this device is quite significant in size and weighs 32 pounds. Hence, it is not exactly the lightest one would see around.
This bulky design, however, to an end that it performs the function of air purification better than any other. It is not named medical grade for no reason, as it employs a far more effective HEPA filter than seen on natural air purifiers.
Precisely speaking, its filter is about 10 times more productive and has an overall performance efficiency of up to 99.5%. This filter is called a hyper HEPA filter and can ultrafine particles in the air, down to 0.003 microns, compared to the true HEPA filter of 0.3 microns.
The unit also employs a patented triple-seal technology, which completely seals the air purifier’s filter media into its filter frame. With a complete 3D ultra-seal process, the filter frame is then sealed into a housing, all processes being airtight. This ensures that every air drawn in doesn’t sip or leak through any opening that is not through the filter, hence assuring that all air is adequately filtered.
It is also suitable for large-sized rooms of up to 1125 sqft, hence very much comfortable serving a whole home, eliminating the discomfort of having a portable air purifier for each room.
Regarding CADR levels, this product is also awe-inspiring, possessing a powerful fan that cycles the air at a 300 cubic feet per minute rate, with an even airflow diffuser for proper air distribution, while consuming only 215 watts at the highest setting.
Due to its remarkable capacity, one might think excess noise to be a problem, but trust us when we say it’s not, not with the Air 899. It is tranquil while operating and comes with a remarkable filter life.
The pre-max filters last about 18 months, the V5 cell can go for 2 years, and the hyper HEPA filter lasts up to 4 years. In simple terms, you wouldn’t have to worry about purchasing this purifier for a long time.
Cool automatic features are not also lacking in this device, as it possesses a remote control for optimal and comfortable user experience, allowing the user to program it with specificity. The timer and filter life indicator is also present as a plus, and, though expensive, it is worth every bit to the last penny.
Pros
- Hyper HEPA filter
- Hyper-effective purification
- Suitable for large-sized rooms
- Captures ultrafine particles
- High CADR
- Quiet operation
- Remote control
- Filter life indicator
- Timer
- Long filter lifespan
Cons
- Not budget-friendly
2) Alen BreatheSmart Classic Large Room Air Purifier
Special features: 4 layered filters, 4 different filter options to choose from, item weight; 21 pounds, certified frustration-free
The following air purifier on our list is a pretty beautiful piece of furniture and a very efficient air purifier to match its good looks. It can pretty much fit into any home design and is about the height of a small table while weighing 21 pounds, making it kind of bulky.
Mobility, however, would not be an issue due to the presence of a handle for easier lifting and movement. The top of the air purifier harbors its several control buttons and indicator lights, which helps account for an impressive user experience.
The Alen Breathesmart Air Purifier 649 is a high-capacity device designed for whole-house uses and can serve up to 1,100 sqft in room size. On purchase, several models exist, with the difference being between your preferred filter choice.
There are 4 available options, with each filter designed for different purposes, and they are the HEPA pure, whose specialty is in dealing with dust, dander and other airborne allergens, HEPA silver for removing bacteria, mold, and odor-causing contaminants, HEPA fresh plus for smoke and cooking odors, and lastly a HEPA odor cell for thick stench problems.
Each filter, however, is designed with several layers, including the prefilter, HEPA filter, and an activated carbon filter. At the top side for button panels, the device measures and indicates the filter life level, helping keep an eye on budget purposes, as well as when a change is required. The filters actually last long, though, needing about 9 to 12 months before a change is necessary.
It is tranquil while operating due to its whisper max design, and it also releases soothing white noise to mask actual noise disturbances that escape the device. This enhances sound sleep.
The device comes with auto mode, by which it can automatically monitor and balance air purity level by switching between different fan speeds without the help of its user.
Air cleaning is taken a step further with the presence of an ozone-free ionizer, which attacks contaminants on a molecular level. For those in the US, the product offers a lifetime limited warranty for you.
Pros
- Suitable for large-sized rooms
- Quiet operation
- Filter life indicator
- Air quality indicator
- Timer
- Auto-mode
- Lift handle
- Ozone free ionizer
- Quiet operation
- Carbon filter
- Extended filter life
- Life time limited warrantee for the USA only
Cons
- Not budget-friendly
3) Honeywell F300E1019 Electronic Air Cleaner
Special features: product dimension; 28.5 x 10.3 x 23.3 inches, item weight 0.16 ounces, zinc coated
This air purifier takes a complete design compared to the ones reviewed so far. Manufactured by honey well, it is not designed to be a standstill unit like many others but is required to be mounted and work with a duct system in the house. As a result, it has extremely high efficiency of being suitable for whole-house air purification.
The idea is that an HVAC system piped around the house should exist, hence distributing either heat during the winter or cold air in summer. It is therefore connected to either an air conditioning system or a heater. The F300E1019 comes into play at a central outlet point of the duct, where it is mounted and does a handy job of filtering air passing through.
With this design, ensure only clean air in the home at every point. It is also compatible with all types of air conditioners and heaters, including gas, oil, and electrically powered types. It is available in different sizes to fit into most standard ducts used in homes today.
The device contains a media post filter for further air cleaning after it’s gone through the original filter. As an uninterrupted-state power supply, it is self-regulating, maintaining peak efficiency for a broad range of dirt conditions in the duct. Air passing across this filter has a shallow pressure drop, so don’t be scared that it could cause less air to get into the house for breathing in. Overall, it is a great device and comes at a high price, which is well worth it.
Pros
- Compatible with all gas, oil, and electric forced warm furnaces
- Media post filter
Cons
- Not budget-friendly
4) Medify MA-112 | the Only 950 CADR H13 HEPA Air Purifier
Special features: 2 stage filtration, touch panel control, child lock, energy star rated, CARB and ETL certified, item weight; 32 pounds.
Back to our regular type of air purifiers is the Medify MA-112 HEPA device. This is another high-capacity device, which is a massive deal for keeping the air in a home clean and healthy.
It has a pretty only design, and though it is not as large as most others reviewed, it is just slightly lesser, qualifying it as bulky still, but for a device which can serve over 2000 sqft in room size, what did you expect?
Precisely speaking, it is designed to serve up to an imposing 3,700 sqft room size; in basic terms, there is almost no home this device cannot cover, though its efficiency in CADR varies. It has a CADR of 950 cubic feet per minute; therefore, it can cycle the air in 3,700 sqft in an hour and 2,500 sqft in 30 minutes. This is really impressive.
The device makes use of the well-known and loved HEPA filter as the significant cleaning agent, precisely an H13 HEPA filter model, which is regarded as a medical-grade filter. However, though the unit itself is not a medical device.
There is also an external pre-filter, responsible for removing sizeable particle contaminants from the air before getting to the HEPA filter, and a negative ion generator, for attacking contamination on a molecular level, leaving you with nothing short of clean, fresh air.
It can be left around kids who wouldn’t be able to operate it due to the presence of a child safety feature at the user’s disposal. It also comes with the auto mode for automatically cleaning and maintaining the air on a safe level.
Purchasing this product comes with a lifetime warranty on parts and services and filter replacement every 6 months. This speaks a lot about the quality of the product because the manufacturers wouldn’t surely give a lifetime warranty on something frail.
Pros
- Suitable for large-sized rooms
- HEPA filter
- High CADR
- Ionizer
- Auto-mode
- Can be used around kids
- Consumes less energy
- Lifetime warranty on parts and services with filter replacement every 6 months
Cons
- Not budget-friendly
5) Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier with True HEPA
Special features: sleep mode, 3 stage filtration, LED display, AHAM rated, item weight; 15.4 pounds, night mode
Finally, Winix sums up the total product for the whole-house air purifier on our list. Like a typical Winix product, this device is of average size and has a design that only allows it to stand on the floor. There are also many modern features designed into it, with the presence of an LED display the most notable by sight, though other performance-related features are present.
The device is designed to clean air using a 3 stage filtration system, with the first being a true HEPA filter for holding back 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns. An activated carbon filter is also present for removing volatile organic compounds and gases, while the most notably different filtration stage is the plasma wave.
This plasma wave acts as a permanent filter, breaking down molecules of air allergens, odors, and other contaminants. It releases a zero amount of ozone, making it perfectly safe to use at home.
The Winix 5500-2 can also operate independently from the supervision of its user (commonly known as the auto mode), varying fan speeds to match the contamination demands in the air. It does this by making use of a built-in smart sensor. This sensor also measures the level of air pollution at every current time and displays it on the control panel area.
Being very cheap is fascinating about this product, only costing a little compared to other contenders designed to do the same work, though it is also not as efficient. For the price it goes, however, it offers decent quality.
The activated carbon filter can be washed, hens giving it a long life span, and the unit has a pretty impressive CADR, though it is suitable for small rooms only (up to 360sqft). The remote control is also available for more convenience, and comes with a 1-year limited manufacturer warranty.
Pros
- True HEPA filter
- Plasma wave
- Washable activated carbon filter
- Budget-friendly
- Auto-mode
- High CADR
- Filter replacement indicator
- Remote control
Cons
- Suitable for small-sized rooms only
- 1-year limited manufacturers warranty
Features to consider in choosing the best hospital grade whole house air purifier
- HEPA Filter:
The type of filter used in an air purifier differentiates between different product prices and qualities. Therefore, the more efficient the filter is, the better the unit performs.
Though a True HEPA filter is a minimum standard of filters for air purifiers recommended, there are better grades like the H13 or the medical-grade model seen in the IQAir model.
- Capacity:
The capacity of an air purifier is basically the extent of space it can serve for a considerable time. Since we are considering whole-house air purifiers, the unit purchased should be able to do an excellent job across all areas of the home, regardless of wherever it is placed.
Most houses are in sizes starting from 700 sqft, and we recommend it to be the bare minimum for consideration of capacity before you purchase a unit.
- CADR Rating:
Clean air delivery rate is an accurate measurement of how quickly an air purifier can recycle the air in a specific space (mainly the one recommended by design from manufacturers).
The higher the CADR, the faster the air in an area would be cycled through the unit, and of course, you should go for a unit with a high CADR for a faster impact and performance.
- Automatic features:
These include the auto mode and timer majorly, though some manufacturers might program something extra like the child lock and smart mode. A device with auto mode allows for smooth operation and usage, while the timer is basically for choosing its working duration.
Child lock makes devices very suitable to be left around kids, while the smart mode switches between sleep and normal mode depending on how bright the environment is.
- Warranty:
When getting a quality whole-house air purifier, trust me when you say you will part with a lot of money. Going for a device with warrantee is just some security on the event of purchasing a faulty product, therefore not leaving you with some expensive junk in the home
- Activated carbon filter:
They are handy for removing odor-causing molecules from the air that even HEPA filters may not grab hold of. Since the intention is to clean the air, why not make it pleasurable to breathe and also odorless?
- Filter life:
All whole-house air purifiers feature some more substantial and more efficient filters compared to portable ones, which, as a result, makes the filter replacements more expensive.
Before purchasing a unit, know that you will undoubtedly keep changing its filters for a long time. For an expensive filter unit, in no time, you would have spent more than the capital invested in purchasing the unit. For this reason, it is essential to go for products with an exceptionally long life span to reduce subsequent expenses to a bare minimum.
Why you might need a hospital-grade whole house air purifier
Just as the name implies, hospital grade. Anything hospital-grade is always designed with far better precision, efficiency, and effectiveness when compared to ordinary products.
Taking the IQAir product reviewed, for example, it makes use of a medical-grade HEPA filter, which from tests, has been proven to be 10 times more effective than regular HEPA filters, as well as having almost 100% efficiency.
Now wouldn’t it be bliss to have such a device working on your side to remove all harmful pollutants and odors from your air?
However, medical-grade equipment is much more expensive than the regular product but is worth the extra cost. They can also be used across various hospital rooms, including emergency rooms, laboratories, ICUs, pharmacies, etc.
What makes an air purifier a hospital grade?
What makes an air purifier hospital-grade is the fact that it is designed to be one. This means that careful consideration is put into the design and manufacture of these products, with specificity in doing the job they are intended to do with high efficiency while also not turning out to be more of a harm than good to the user.
For this reason, their parts are very different, including the HEPA filters, making them able to work in susceptible areas. Critically high surgeries can be performed with a lower risk of air contamination infection with this product. They are also used in isolation rooms, keeping patients from harmful particles in the air.
How much does it cost to install a whole house air purifier?
The price for installing a whole-house air purifier varies depending on the professional and the area you are in; however, the average national cost is around $1000 to $1500 for an excellent professional job.
There should also be extra costs resulting from more complex designs of houses, as well as replacing filters and adding child tamper-resistant outlets to exit points to keep children’s hands off.
Typically, house owners spend between $500 and $5000 depending on the home size and design. The filter you also choose to use could affect the cost, causing an increase or decrease.
Flat filters cost around $15, while extended media filters would take up to $60 off you, electronic filters can go up to $1000. Finally, ultraviolet filters are a little behind the electric type at $800.
Prevalent issues with using a whole house air purifier
The following are the two major problems encountered when using whole-house air purifiers, and applies to both the standalone, filter, and duct based system;
Clogged filters:
Over time, the filter is sure to accumulate a lot of particles on itself due to filtration, therefore blocking pathways and making it very much cloggy and, if left unclear, could do more to contaminate your air than clean it.
Overwork HVAC system:
This also results from leaving clogged filters on for too long. It could reduce the amount of air getting into the home, giving the HVAC an impression of underachievement and forcing it to work more to achieve little results. Overworking HAVC doesn’t go for long before a park-up happens.
Final Verdict: picking the best hospital grade whole house air Purifier
Our most recommended product for your whole house air purification is the IQAir GC MultiGas Air Purifier Medical-Grade. This is primarily due to its medical-grade design and, as a result, a medical-grade HEPA filter that gives it up to 10 times the power of a regular HEPA filter, with higher efficiency. Its triple-seal design and its ability to hold ultrafine particles and very long filter life also speaks volumes of its quality and why we decided it comes out top.
The Alen BreatheSmart Classic Large Room Air Purifier is a good choice, as it still has you covered entirely. Being suitable for large-sized rooms, this air purifier comes with several layered filters and a host of options, depending on your specific needs. There is a filter for everybody. Its filters also have functional lifespans, and a lifetime limited warranty for the USA is a deal sweetener.
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