Furnace Filters: Lennox HC16 vs Honeywell F300 vs Trane CleanEffects

The following review compares all the air cleaners using the ASHRAE 52.2 standard. Some of the companies market the efficiency of their filters using the efficiency of the filter right out of the box. The problem with this is as the filter gets full of dust the efficiency drops off drastically in some cases like that of the Trane CleanEffects.

We are recommending the Lennox HC16 (MERV 16) mechanical filter because the filter is 95% effiicent at removing all particles from 0.3 - 10 micron even after the filter is loaded with a whole year's worth of dust. This filter system does not use any electricity which is another great advantage over the electronic air cleaners.

All of the information below is our interpretation of data we found online, it is not the exact data. I have posted links to where we found the data.

MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value)
http://www.nafahq.org/LibaryFiles/Articles/Article006.htm

The MERV efficiency of a filter is determined by ASHRAE 52.2. This standard says the MERV rating given to a filter is taken at the worst case efficiency. The 52.2 test is done for 6 cases with case 1 having no dust in the air, while case 6 has the most dust (equivalent to about a year's worth of dust in your home). The efficiency is taken for case 1-6 and the efficiency that is worst is the one used for the MERV rating.

Overview of ASHRAE 52.2 Testing Procedure
Step 1
Measure efficiency for each of the 12 particle ranges starting with no dust in the air (Case 1), then add dust to the air and repeat measurements for Case 2-6, by the time you reach Case 6, there will be a year’s worth of dust on the filter.

Step 2
Take the worst efficiency in each of the 12 ranges for Case 1-6 and highlight in RED.

Step 3
Take the worst efficiency numbers and average for Range 1-4 to give the E1 efficiency rating. Repeat for Range 5-8 for E2 efficiency and Range 9-12 for E3 efficiency.

Step 4
Use the efficiencies for the E1, E2, E3 and the table below to determine the overall MERV rating of the filter.


http://www.nafahq.org/LibaryFiles/Articles/Article%20Images/Article%20006%20Art/table%202.jpg

Lennox HC16http://www.lennox.com/products/indoor-air-quality-systems/HC16/

The Lennox HC16 is rated professionally to a MERV 16 rating.

Recommendation: We personally will be using the Lennox HC16 system because even after it is loaded with ~ 1 years worth of dust it still has a MERV 16 rating. The maintenance of this system is also much easier and cheaper. All you do is replace the filter one time a year for about $100. There is no electricity cost.

Note: The data below is an example of what a MERV 16 filter would look like. we could not find actual data for the Lennox HC16, but it would look something like below.





Honeywell F300 Electronic Air Cleaner
http://www.forwardthinking.honeywell.com/products/filtration/filtration_products.html

We give the Honeywell F300 a MERV 11 based on Case 6, which assumes it is not cleaned for ~ 1 year.
We give the Honeywell F300 a MERV 14 based on Case 1, which assumes no dust is on the filter.

Recommendation: The Honeywell system does a fairly good job, even if dust accumulates on the filter system, but it is still not as good as the Lennox HC16, which has a MERV 16 rating even when it is fully loaded with ~ 1 years worth of dust. A one cell system consumes 22 W max and a two cell system consumes 36 W max.

Note: We created the data below from estimates using the information found here:
http://www.forwardthinking.honeywell.com/related_links/filtration/f300/sell/50_9482.pdf





The data above was estimated from Honeywell's comparison using the ASHRAE 52.2 standard.

http://www.forwardthinking.honeywell.com/products/filtration/filtration_products.html
Under "Sell" on the right, open the PDF labeled "vs. CleanEffect/Accuclean"
© 2008 Honeywell International Inc. 50-9482 PM July 2008

Trane CleanEffects Electronic Air Filter
http://www.trane.com/Residential/Products/air-filtration/CleanEffects-Air-Filtration

We give the Trane CleanEffects a MERV 7 based on Case 6, which assumes it is not cleaned for ~ 1 year.
We give the Trane CleanEffects a MERV 16 based on Case 1, which assumes no dust is on the filter.

Recommendation: If you are using a Trane CleanEffects system, it is critical you keep the system clean, because even with a small amount of dust on the filter, it drastically cuts the systems efficiency. We are not sure on the electricity consumption.

Note: We created the data below from estimates using the information found here:
http://www.forwardthinking.honeywell.com/related_links/filtration/f300/sell/50_9482.pdf





The data above was estimated from Honeywell's comparison using the ASHRAE 52.2 standard.

http://www.forwardthinking.honeywell.com/products/filtration/filtration_products.html
Under "Sell" on the right, open the PDF labeled "vs. CleanEffect/Accuclean"
© 2008 Honeywell International Inc. 50-9482 PM July 2008

Trane says they are 99.98% efficient at removing "Airborne Allergens". What size are airborne allergens? According to the plot in the Honeywell document, the Trane CleanEffects is about 99.98% efficient only with particles greater than about 4 microns. They are only about 93% efficient at 0.3 microns according to the Honeywell document.