Services

Whole-House Air Purification Systems

Did you know that...

Types of Indoor Air Quality Systems


Products, Websites and Videos

Sanuvox Product Website

Sanuvox UV Germicidal Light Product Video (wmv)

Trane Clean Effects® Product Website

Abatement Technologies Whole-Home HEPA Filter (pdf)

UltimateAir® ERV; Product Website

Honeywell DEH90 Whole-Home Dehumidifier (pdf)


What makes a good air cleaner?

Not all air cleaners are created equal. There's sure a lot of marketing surrounding air cleaning products - many times without much science or application to support it. There's really four widely used methods to remove particles from the air:

  1. Trap particles by a porous filter for later disposal
  2. Electrostatically collect particles on metal plates for later removal
  3. Electrostatically charge the particles in mid-air using essentially a radio signal (ionic air cleaners often incorporate this method)
  4. Chemically converting particles into something harmless like water or oxygen.

The filters you buy at the store and put in the cold air return are common and can be effective at trapping larger particles but generally are not recommended due to greatly restricting airflow through the air handler. Try putting a piece of cheesecloth over your mouth and breathe in. Can you breathe easily? And while electrostatic units are easier on the airflow, they re-release particles after a certain collection amount and are rarely cleaned often enough by homeowners. Finally, ionizers can charge particles so that they'll stick to objects and therefore get removed from the air, the only trouble is they will stick to the walls, furniture and you too. Some users of such air cleaners have complained about soiled walls. There are other limitations not listed here.

And remember, the design and installation of the ductwork to which the filtration unit is attached is just as important in determining its effectiveness as the type of or brand of unit itself.

Stream Residential installs effective whole-house air filtration systems which utilize Turbulent Flow Precipitation (TFP) and HEPA technologies. HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particle Arrestance and should be a ultra-dense filter. It traps more small particle "fines" than any other filter media rating. (The things that pass off as HEPA in the consumer market these days is just amazing.)

TFP is a new technology that entraps particles in filter media in a different way than traditional head on airflow and works beautifully. It does not re-release trapped particles over time like many other types of air cleaners. The TFP unit we use qualifies with FDA as a medical device, therefore, may be tax deductible and cost covered by health insurance with a physician's prescription. It also presents lower maintanence than other systems--TFP filter cartridge lasts 1 year; HEPA lasts 2-3 years in an average house.

Stream also sells centrally installed dehumidification, humidification, and fresh air ventilation systems.

Pricing

For more real answers to real indoor air quality problems, call us to schedule a free appointment or the Stream Whole-Home Assessment™.