With our HEPA air filter ratings, you can cut through all the sales hype and find the best value. Our simple rating system gives each brand a color code and a star rating. If the card is green, then, that is one of the top picks from HvacRepairGuy. If the card is yellow, then, that would be a budget pick from HvacRepairgGuy. If the card is red, then, the brand is not recommended by HvacRepairGuy. It truly is like you were taking a repairman shopping with you!
Twenty brands were tested and factors such as construction features, availability, reliability, efficiency, and cost were considered.
**NOTE** These reviews are for units that are integrated into a home's air duct system and are typically called whole house units. You can also check out our ratings of portable units.
The P600W central air system from AIRPURA offers variable speed control and an optional germicidal lamp. The brand is backed by a good warranty and is easily purchased by homeowners. It is an easily installed bypass unit with a large 560 cfm capacity.
This brand is from WATERFURNACE INTERNATIONAL. The brand offers nothing very special and is only available from dealers of their geothermal systems.
The AIRWASH WHISPER 350 features high efficiency backward curved fans as well as an optional VOC canister. The brand is reasonably priced, backed by a good guarantee, and is easily purchased by the do-it-yourself customer.
The AccuClean models can remove pollutants at a 99.98% rate down to .1 micron size and they are available in three sizes. When their ACCULINK control is used, you have the ability to automatically choose from three different system settings. The units are backed by a very good warranty but are only available through their HVAC system dealers.
This brand is from DAIKIN GLOBAL and the AMHP-250-UPD is a five stage air cleaner. The unit offers variable speed airflow control and the backing of a truly global brand. They are only available through their HVAC dealer networks for the various brands.
The FSHEPADM400 is made in Canada and offers optional variable speed motors. They offer standard efficiency units but it is unclear as to how you would go about purchasing one of them.
The N-HEPA DM400 units feature three step filtration with an optional VOC post filter. They are really very average units as far as technology but they have familiar brand names put on them so the cost is higher than other Nordyne brands.
The AC500 are average units but they do have a two speed motor even though it is controlled by a manual switch. They are typical bypass type units that are available in the USA and Canada but only through a very limited dealer network.
This is one of the value brands from NORTEK GLOBAL HVAC. they are going to cost less than their "flagship" brands. They are identical in all ways except they will have an even more limited distribution network.
This brand is made by IMPERIAL AIR TECHNOLOGIES. The units are available in two sizes (200 or 300 cfm) and feature three stages of filtration. They use ECM variable speed motors and are backed by a very good guarantee but you are more likely to purchase one with another brand name on it as they make many of the name brands.
This brand is made by IMPERIAL AIR TECHNOLOGIES. The units are available in two sizes (200 or 300 cfm) and feature three stages of filtration. They use ECM variable speed motors and are backed by a very good guarantee.
This is one of the value brands from NORTEK GLOBAL HVAC. they are going to cost less than their "flagship" brands. They are identical in all ways except they will have an even more limited distribution network.
The N-HEPA DM400 units feature three step filtration with an optional VOC post filter. They are really very average units as far as technology but they have familiar brand names put on them so the cost is higher than other Nordyne brands.
The N-HEPA DM400 units feature three step filtration with an optional VOC post filter. They are really very average units as far as technology but they have familiar brand names put on them so the cost is higher than other Nordyne brands.
This is one of the value brands from NORTEK GLOBAL HVAC. they are going to cost less than their "flagship" brands. They are identical in all ways except they will have an even more limited distribution network.
The 1200HS PLUS features partial bypass units that have their own ECM variable speed motor rated at 1200 CFM.
The main thing that they have going for them is the engineering of the motors and the design for the airflow. Their unique push/pull design where the very quiet ECM motor is between the filters allows for very quiet operation. The motors have two speeds and are backed by a good warranty but their controls are not really state of the art.
The N-HEPA DM400 units feature three step filtration with an optional VOC post filter. They are really very average units as far as technology but they have familiar brand names put on them so the cost is higher than other Nordyne brands.
The CleanEffects models can remove pollutants at a 99.98% rate down to .1 micron size and they are available in three sizes. When their ACCULINK control is used, you have the ability to automatically choose from three different system settings. The units are backed by a very good warranty but are only available through their HVAC system dealers.
This is one of the value brands from NORTEK GLOBAL HVAC. they are going to cost less than their "flagship" brands. They are identical in all ways except they will have an even more limited distribution network.