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Air Cleaners

Air Cleaners

Illustrated airflow passing through three filter stages that each trap smaller dust, pollen and allergen particles

A whole-house air cleaner, also called a whole-house air purifier, is a filtration system installed in your HVAC ductwork that cleans the air throughout your entire home, not just the space near your furnace. It does more than catch visible dust. This kind of indoor air quality (IAQ) system removes tiny allergens, helps neutralize airborne germs, and keeps the air in your home fresh in every room.

Signs Your Home Could Use an Air Cleaner

Not sure whether a whole-house air cleaner is worth it? If a few of these sound familiar, you may benefit from an air cleaner.

Constant Dust

Dust resettles on your surfaces within a day or two of cleaning.

Allergy Flare-Ups

Allergy or asthma symptoms get worse indoors instead of better.

Lingering Odors

Cooking, pet, or musty smells hang around longer than they should.

Pets, Pollen & Smoke

You have shedding pets, or live with heavy pollen or wildfire smoke.

An air cleaner only reaches its rated performance when it is matched to your system and installed correctly in your ductwork. Tidwell and Sons HVAC handles the fit and setup so airflow stays strong and your heating and cooling equipment stays protected. Learn more about our indoor air quality specialists.

Looking for Professional Air Cleaner Installation?

Our professional HVAC installers will ensure your indoor air quality is properly optimized for the size of your home and your systems.

Call (615) 981-6064 for a Free Quote

MERV Ratings and Airflow

When you shop for a whole-house air cleaner, you will run into a few industry ratings that describe how well a filter traps particles and how much it slows down your airflow. Knowing these terms helps you pick a filter that cleans the air well without overworking your system's blower.

What MERV Ratings Mean

MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) is the national scale that measures how well a filter captures particles between 0.3 and 10 microns in size. The higher the MERV number, the smaller the particles the filter can trap.

MERV 8–10

Captures larger particles like household dust, lint, pollen, and dust mite debris. Best for: everyday, baseline home filtering.

MERV 11–13

Captures finer particles like pet dander, mold spores, smog, and fine dust. Best for: homes with pets or mild allergy sufferers.

MERV 14–16

Captures microscopic irritants like bacteria, smoke, and virus-carrying particles. Best for: severe allergy or asthma concerns.

For most homes, MERV 11 to 13 is the most common range, giving strong filtration without straining a standard system.

MERV 16 is the practical ceiling for residential filtration. True HEPA filtration, the standard used in hospitals, surgical suites, and clean rooms, captures even smaller particles, but it needs a dedicated bypass system rather than a standard filter slot.

Balancing Filtration and Airflow

A common worry when moving to a higher-efficiency filter is air resistance, which the industry calls static pressure. A thin 1-inch filter with a high MERV rating can act like a brick wall in your ductwork, choking off airflow and making your system freeze up or overheat.

Whole-house air cleaners solve this with deep, pleated filter media, usually 4 to 5 inches thick. All that extra folded surface area gives the air far more room to pass through, so the air cleaner can hit a high MERV rating (11 to 16) while airflow stays strong and smooth across your equipment.

Comparing Air Cleaner Technologies

MERV ratings describe filter media, but that is only one type of whole-house air cleaner. Most homes choose from four approaches, and many combine them. Here is how they compare.

TechnologyHow It WorksBest At RemovingUpkeepBest For
Media FilterAir passes through thick, folded filter media that traps particles as they go by.Dust, pollen, pet dander, and mold spores (rated by MERV).Replace the filter every 6 to 12 months.Most homes wanting strong, all-around filtering.
Electronic Air CleanerGives particles an electrical charge so they cling to a collector cell or charged pad.Very fine particles, smoke, and some odors.Wash the collector cells or swap the pad on a regular schedule.Homes dealing with smoke or fine-dust concerns.
Germicidal UV LightShines UV-C light on the coil and passing air to disrupt living organisms.Mold, bacteria, and viruses (it does not trap dust).Replace the UV bulb about once a year.Adding germ control alongside a filter, not instead of one.
Ionization & OxidationAdds charged ions or oxidizers to the airstream that clump particles together and break down odors and germs.Odors, airborne chemicals (VOCs), and germs, and it helps filters catch finer dust.Replace the ionizer needles or catalyst cell on the manufacturer's schedule.Layering extra odor and germ control onto a filter.

Germicidal UV works best paired with a good filter rather than on its own. Learn more on our UV air treatment page.

Breathe Easier in Every Room

Our team will help you choose and install the right air cleaner for your home and your budget. Call us or request a free assessment online.

Call (615) 981-6064 to Talk to an Expert

Frequently Asked Questions About Air Cleaners

Most deep-pleated whole-house filters last 6 to 12 months. Homes with pets, smokers, or heavy allergies may need changes on the shorter end of that range. We will recommend a schedule based on your system and household.
For many households, yes. Pulling pollen, pet dander, dust mite debris, and mold spores out of the air your family breathes all day can noticeably ease common indoor allergy and asthma triggers. An air cleaner is not a medical device, so use it alongside your doctor's guidance.
Only when it is the wrong filter for your setup. Forcing a high-rated filter into a shallow 1-inch slot starves your system for air. A properly sized whole-house cabinet holds much deeper media, so you get strong filtration and healthy airflow at the same time.
Partly. The finest filters trap a large share of the tiny particles that carry viruses and bacteria. For an extra layer that acts on living germs directly, many homeowners pair their filter with a germicidal UV light.
A whole-house air cleaner installs into your ductwork and treats the air in every room your HVAC system serves. A portable purifier only cleans the single room it sits in. For whole-home coverage, a ducted air cleaner is the more complete solution.
No. An air cleaner removes particles and contaminants from your air, while a humidifier adds moisture to dry indoor air. They solve different comfort problems, and some homes benefit from having both.
Almost always. These systems are built to work with the equipment you already own, mounting where return air enters your furnace or air handler. We size and fit it during your visit so nothing strains your blower.

Air Purification Product Offering

HEPA

Healthy Climate High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filtration System

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Model Family: HEPA
Filter efficiency: 99.97% efficient in removing down to .3 micron
Germicidal rate: 99.97% efficient in removing down to .3 micron
Warranty: 5 year Limited Warranty on covered components
Manufacturer's Stated Benefits:
  • True HEPA system--means the entire system has been tested to meet industry standards for particle/bioaerosol filtration
  • Sealed bypass design--traps particles and prevents them from escaping
  • Optional carbon filtration--helps remove odors
  • Powerful, yet quiet performance--completely and quietly filters the air inside your home, several times a day
  • Easy integration--designed to work with Lennox® heating and cooling systems for total home comfort
  • No ozone emissions-- a known lung irritant
  • Equivalent to MERV-17 (not MERV rated)
PureAir

PureAir™ Air Purification System

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Model Family: PureAir
Filter efficiency: 99.9% pollen, dust and pet dander
Germicidal rate: MERV 16 hospital grade
Warranty: 5-year limited warranty on covered components
Manufacturer's Stated Benefits:
  • Industry-leading air purification technology - an air purification system unlike any other
  • Cleans the air in your home better than any other single system you can buy
  • Destroys household odors and chemical vapors
  • Industry-exclusive air purification technology
  • Whole-home purification works with your existing heating and cooling system
  • Quality you can trust - designed with reliable, time-tested components
  • Uses the #1 rated MERV 16 Carbon Clean media filter
  • Only single indoor air quality system to attack all three classes of indoor air contaminants
  • Removes and destroys approximately 50% of household odors and chemical vapors in a 24-hour period
  • Hospital inpatient care/general surgery level filtration
  • Reduces and destroys ozone--a product of pollution and a known lung irritant
CarbonClean16

Healthy Climate Carbon Clean 16 Media Air Cleaner

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Model Family: CarbonClean16
Filter efficiency: Removes over 95% down to .3 micron
Germicidal rate: Removes over 90% down to .01 micron
Warranty: 5 year Limited Warranty on covered components
Manufacturer's Stated Benefits:
  • Provides whole-home filtration for optimal home comfort and air quality, with no additional energy costs
  • #1 rated professionally installed, whole-home HC16 filtration system* is now the Carbon Clean 16
  • Effective filtration to protect the HVAC equipment
  • No cleaning required
  • Cartridge slides out for quick and easy replacement
  • Cartridge lasts up to one year. As with any filtration product, replacement life cycle depends on the individual conditions and
  • Compatible with any HVAC system--no additional power source needed
  • Hospital inpatient care/general surgery level filtration- Merv 16
  • No ozone emissions-- a known lung irritant+. The Carbon Clean 16 can reduce ground-level ozone in your home by up to 50%
HC11

Healthy Climate 11 Media Air Cleaner

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Model Family: HC11
Filter efficiency: Removes more than 85% down to 3 microns
Germicidal rate: Removes more than 28% down to 3 microns
Warranty: 5 year Limited Warranty on covered components
Manufacturer's Stated Benefits:
  • Provides whole-home filtration for optimal home comfort and air quality, with no additional energy costs
  • Compatible with any HVAC system--no additional power source needed
  • No ozone emissions-- a known lung irritant
  • Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value Merv 11