There may be reasons to use a commercial air purifier in a business instead of one designed mainly for residential use, although, many “light” commercial locations could utilize a residential purifier effectively.
Which commercial locations will be discussed?
Commercial spaces come in many types. Because the scope of this website is mostly residential, I will limit my discussion here to commercial locations that are close in type to residential and thus in most cases could use similar technology. Our discussion mostly applies to smaller offices, smaller retail spaces, and other businesses with simple, open areas.
This will not be a discussion of complex air cleaning situations like industrial or chemical plants, hotels, paint booths, restaurants, large retail, nail salons, bars, schools and other large buildings. These commercial locations generally need a custom solution provided by a commercial air specialist. A commercial air purifier or system would be more suitable. If you work in one of these places, it is possible to use a home air purifier and get some benefit, but to do a complete analysis requires more discussion and variables then we can do here. I may expand this section to include a more complete commercial air purifier guide at a later time.
What are the 6 major differences of residential and commercial?
1) The rooms/ spaces may be larger.
2) The air flow and air handling equipment may be more complex.
3) There generally are more people inside.
4) There may be many different types of contaminants.
5) You need to take into account your neighbors businesses.
6) There may be code considerations.
Let’s discuss these briefly one at a time.
1) The rooms/ spaces may be larger.
Many Commercial air purifier spaces are larger. Many ceilings are higher and some are drop ceilings. Some spaces change in size and shape with partitioned walls and/or different retail set-ups. You may need to take these factors and others into account before making a decision.
2) The air flow and air handling equipment may be more complex.
Commercial air purifier spaces can have many types of air flow. Your office or retail space may be tied into its own heating and cooling system or it may be part of a larger system. There can also be more in and out traffic, numerous hallways and doorways, garage doors, etc … On one extreme, there are simple spaces that you can treat just like a regular room and on the other extreme, the spaces are very complex. Most are somewhere in between.
3) There generally are more people inside.
Many Commercial air purifier spaces have more people inside them then residential. More people means more cleaning power needed. In larger spaces the need for a commercial air purifier system becomes necessary.
4) There may be many different types of contaminants.
The number can vary from few to many. Many offices are connected to warehouses. Certain office supplies, new products/ samples, dusty inventory/ boxes and copy machines are just a few possibilities. Every type of industry is a little different. Some businesses may appear to have only standard contaminants, but examine these spaces more closely and you may find some additional ones.
5) You need to take into account your neighbors businesses.
Mini-malls, downtowns, office complexes, and industrial locations tend to have close neighbors. Some of these locations share air flow. The problems can even depend on which way the wind is blowing.
6) There may be code considerations.
Most commercial locations are under local and state codes. This means that where you place something needs to be within code. You can’t block exits, breaker boxes, or hallways. You also need to be mindful of things like extension cords. If you have questions, check with your boss or if you own the business, run it by the code inspectors on their next visit.
I did not cover any of these in very much detail, but you can begin to see the possible complexities of cleaning the air in a commercial situation and the need for a commercial air purifier or complex system. With all that said, many locations are “easy” to clean and can be treated pretty much like a one room or whole home residential situation.
Two criteria used to make a good decision on a Commercial air purifier
1) Do you want to clean one room/office, multiple rooms/offices or the whole business location?
This is a primary decision you will need to make. You may just want to clean a certain room or the place where you work most. In some cases budget can be a limitation. In other cases it can be the size of your office/business or the layout. Even the cooling/heating system can be a factor in your decision.
Let’s look at each of these. First though, if you have made up your mind and only want to clean the air in one room/office. If you are not sure, continue on.
Budget: Cleaning the whole business will generally be more expensive than effectively cleaning just one room/office. One good active or passive air purifier will clean one room/office. If you want to clean multiple rooms or the whole business it can get a little more complicated. If you are on a budget you will need to look at cost effective solutions.
Business Size: Business size generally only matters if you want to clean more than one room. When using passive technologies your choices are limited. A single passive air purifier will clean only a single room or office. Some passive technologies can be hooked through your HVAC system and thus reach the whole business. To do the whole business with passive technologies your choices are limited to more than one unit or a more serious unit hooked through the HVAC. Active technologies may provide more “bang for the buck” for whole business cleaning. Read my section on whole house/ multiple room air cleaning for a more detailed discussion.
Layout: Businesses can be single story or multiple stories. Some have basements. Some offer an open layout and some a closed layout. No matter what air cleaning choice you make, you will have to make some concessions. No layout or purifier combination is a perfect fit. Looking at all the options and having a plan will be helpful, but will not eliminate some “tweaking” once you pick a purifier. One nice thing about most air purifiers is they are moveable. You can move them around and find the best spots.
Heating and Cooling: All air purifiers work better with air flow. Central air and heat systems or HVAC are best at doing this. If you are in a business without central air and heat, consider installing a ceiling fan or using some sort of fan setup to get better air flow. Both passive and active systems will clean the air better with increased air flow.
2) Which contaminants do you want to clean?
Basic Particles – dust, pet dander, allergens: Use HEPA, Electrostatic Precipitators/Charged Media Filters, or Ionization
Smells and Gases – cooking odors, kitty liter, aerosols: Use Activated Carbon Filters, Ozone or Advanced Filterless Technology
Basic Microorganisms – each technology has varying effectiveness: Use Antibacterial and Germicidal Filters, UV, Ozone, or Advanced Filterless Technology
Advanced Microorganisms – some technologies have proven studies: Use Advanced Filterless Technology
Small Particles – like tobacco smoke: Use Ionization or Electrostatic Precipitators/Charged Media Filters
Before we get to the plan of action, you may need to decide if your location can benefit from a standard air purifier or if you need a specialized commercial air purifier. Use the basic guidelines presented above to make that decision.
Ok, time for a plan of action!
Plan of Action:
1) Decide if you want to clean the whole business or just one or two rooms/offices.
2) Make a list of all major known contaminants in your home. Figure out what you want to clean and add to the list anything else you want removed from your air.
3) Review the appropriate section on single room or whole house/ multiple room.
4) Review the technologies again if needed and know which ones interest you.
5) Go to STEP 3 Reviews and start your review of air purifiers That’s it! You have your plan, let’s go forward…
Return to STEP 2 Types from Commercial Air Purifier