Best Whole House Air Purifiers for Furnace in 2023

Last updated on January 1st, 2023

Furnace in a combination with a bad HVAC system can be the cause of dust, smoke and worsened air quality in your house, living or working space. A good whole house air purifier installed in your HVAC system might be an answer – but sometimes you have to get a unit that is designed to remove particulate matter caused by your furnace.

Today I’m going to review the best air purifiers for the furnace – some of them use only electronic filtration, while others employ a HEPA filter and use an additional filter for better filtration results. Let’s start!

Aprilaire 5000: Simply the Best Furnace Air Purifier

Aprilaire 5000 is the best air purifier ready to install into the furnace intake. If you used to work with ductwork before, pairing up the cleaner with the furnace intake is extremely easy, as most of it’s pre-drilled. The air purifier can be attached to both highboy and horizontal furnaces.

When it comes to filtration, not many units beat it. The filter uses high efficiency filtering media and is certified MERV-16. MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value and it ranges from 1 (the worst) to 16 (the best). Having a rating of 16 means that a filter can capture particles as small as 0.3 μm (micron) – these are bacteria, smoke, insecticide dust, paint pigments, face powder. Pollen, dust mites, sanding dust, dander, mold spores, lead dust particles are bigger (start at 1.0 μm in size) and they also are easy prey for this filter.

The Aprilaire filter isn’t washable, but it lasts for 12 months on average (from what I know, the minimum recorded lifespan was 9 months). Replacements are cheap, at around 50 bucks per 1 piece, when bought in bulk the price goes even lower.

Additionally, the unit uses electric filtration to help remove smoke and other pollutants coming out of the furnace. It also releases ozone – however, it is way below the maximum value of 50 ppb (parts per billion) at only 2 ppb.

To sum up, the Aprilaire 5000 is a reliable (already has been working for at least one decade in many households), hassle-free and low maintenance air purifier with the excellent MERV-16 filter that keeps the house clean from harmful particles coming out from the furnace.

Tracs TM250: Portable HEPA & UV Air Purifier to Remove Furnace Smoke

Tracs TM250 is made in the US and it is built to last for decades. However, compared to the previously reviewed Aprilaire 5000, it is not a HVAC- or furnace-mounted air purifier – on the contrary, it is one of the best portable air purifiers to remove smoke, dust and pollution of any kind.

The Tracs TM250 offers a rarely seen combination of air filtration:

• The pre-filter (rated MERV 8) for larger particles (dander, dust, pollen);
• Medical-grade HEPA filter to remove 99.97% of all particles, up to 0.3 micron in size (includes smoke, mold, various dust particulates, volatile organic compounds);
• Two UV-C bulbs kill viruses, germs, bacteria and sanitize the air.

As a result, the air is clean and fresh in the area this air cleaner is used. It retails at a higher price compared to the Aprilaire, but sometimes the product is on sale and that is when I strongly recommend getting this air purifier – you’ll get yourself a sturdy and powerful unit that will keep the space you live or work for decades.

Aprilaire 1610: Affordable Air Purifier for Furnace

Aprilaire 1610 is a less powerful air purifier compared to the 5000 version and it also uses an Aprilaire 410 MERV 11 filter. This 4-inch filter is better than a regular 1″ and it filters smoke and other particulate matter better than any other filter for the price. Just like in the case of the Aprilaire 5000, this one can also be paired up with the furnace intake or HVAC system.

And the good news is, that you can improve overall filtration by installing the new Aprilaire 416 filter rated MERV-16. So after the original filter wears out, you can replace it with a better one – from the experience of many people, it removes dust and captures smoke much better. And if you suffer from asthma, then it is a must for you!

In the end, this model will cost you much less than the 5000 version, so if you are thinking about getting an affordable furnace air purifier, this one is the best you can get.

OdorStop OS72PRO Whole House UV Air Purifier for Furnace

OdorStop OS72PRO is a whole house UV air purifier designed to fit in 17″ and larger HVAC systems. It employs two 16-inches 36 Watt Ultraviolet 254nm lights that destroy germs, bacteria and inactivate viruses without releasing ozone.

Replacement bulbs are cheap and intended to work for at least one year. The unit is designed to save electricity – it will work only when the HVAC system is active. It also comes with a manual that details every step during the installation process which takes minutes to complete.

Whether you have a furnace or don’t, having a virus killer in any house is a wise decision in our Covid-19 times.

Honeywell F300E1027 Electronic Air Cleaner for Furnace

Honeywell F300E1027 is the last air purifier for the furnace I’m going to review here. A friend of mine has bought this several years ago – says it does its job, but I’d say it is not the best. The price is too high whilst filtration isn’t as good as Aprilaire 5000, Tracs TM250 or even the Aprilaire 1610. Yet, the filter lasts incredibly long – as it can be washed and installed in the unit once again an unlimited number of times.

FAQ

So, what’s the best air purifier for furnace from your experience?

The Aprilaire 5000 is the sole winner here due to its filtration capabilities and reliability. Followed by the Tracs TM250 – if you want to have a portable HEPA & UV air purifier in your house that removes virtually all kinds of pollution, including the one that comes from your furnace. The Aprilaire 1610 I’d place third, as it is not as good as its pricey version, but it performs really well.

Are furnace air purifiers worth it?

Definitely! Adding an air purifier to your furnace will keep the air clean in your house from smoke, dust and other particulate matter that is often associated with furnaces.

Are air purifiers good in general?

If you are unfamiliar with the concept of air purifiers I recommend visiting this page. There you’ll get yourself familiar with modern air cleaning solutions and get answers to most of your questions.