SERIES:

SERIES:
Indoor Air Quality
In-Room Fact Sheets

Air Cleaners
This fact sheet is one in a series.
See series overview
for background
information.

Air cleaner basics:

In-room air cleaners are installed within an occupied space and work by pulling in air and filtering it
before sending it back out into the space. They are independent from a heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning (HVAC) system. In-room HEPA air cleaners contain high efficiency particulate air
(HEPA) filters, which are certified to meet their stated efficiency.
In-room air cleaners come in several types and sizes, including miniature desktop units, portable
units operated on the floor or tabletop, and larger fixed units that can be installed on or above
ceilings, walls, or floors.
If a school's HVAC system meets
Where no HVAC system is being ASHRAE recommendations, in-room
used (only natural ventilation is HEPA
HEPA air cleaners should still be used
available), HEPA air cleaners can provide for higher-risk locations (nurse's suites,
additional infection control. music rooms, cafeterias).

HEPA

What is CADR?
An in-room air cleaner
should be chosen so that its
Tips for selecting air cleaners: clean air delivery rate
(CADR) meets the needs of
• IDENTIFYING HEPA FILTERS: Filters that are HEPA will have their the room. The CADR is
factory test reports easily accessible, either on the filter packaging usually given for the highest
or by request. HEPA filters will not be called "better than HEPA," fan speed, so if the unit runs
"HEPA-type," or "HEPA-like." These terms are misleading. at lower speeds, the CADR
will be lower. Look for a unit
• PLACEMENT: Place air cleaner 3 ft away from walls or open windows
with a CADR at least 2/3
and doors. Do not block the unit’s air inlet or outlet. Place it as close
your room’s area. For
as possible to the teacher and between the teacher and the students.
example, a 20' x 30' room
• NOISE: Check manufacturer’s data for noise levels, and choose one (600 ft2) would require
that meets the recommended 35-50 dBA for classrooms. If a unit is CADR of at least 400.
too noisy at its highest fan speed, consider running two units at a Multiple air cleaners can be
lower speed to keep noise down. added to get the total
• COST: Look for the price, availability, and expected lifetime of required CADR (e.g., two
replacement filters. Include this cost in your planning. units with 200 CADR would
meet the 400 CADR
• COMPONENTS: Check for add-ons you do not want or need.
requirement).
HEPA filters are the most effective method for removing particles
that may contain the virus, and additional technologies are often
more problematic than helpful.
• MAINTENANCE: Clean prefilters and replace filters as
recommended by the manufacturer.

Thank you to reviewers Bill Bahnfleth, Mark Davidson, Erika Eitland, Pete Jefferson, Josephine Lau, Corey Metzger, Shelly Miller, Kathleen Owen,
and Keith Woolard. The IAQ Fact Sheet Series was authored in collaboration with Marwa Zaatari, with technical assistance from Sarah Gudeman.
The fact sheet series is intended for informational purposes only. See disclaimer on USGBC’s web site.
 Cardboard
DIY in-room air cleaner: Box Fan Duct
tape
A cheaper alternative to purchasing an in-room air
Filters
cleaner is the DIY Corsi-Rosenthal filter box, made
with a box fan, MERV 13 or MERV 11 filters,
cardboard, and duct tape. Cardboard

100

MYTH 99.99

Particle Efficiency, %
99.98
Viruses are too small to be Even at the particle size
captured by filters. 99.97
where HEPA filters are
lowest-performing (0.3 μm),
HEPA filters are more than they still capture at least
99.96 99.97% of particles.
99.97% efficient at capturing
particles of all sizes, including 99.95
those that carry the COVID-19
virus. Using HEPA in-room air 75
50 Most COVID-19 Airborne
cleaners correctly is the most 25 Particles are 0.5 - 10 μm
effective way to increase clean 0
air delivery in schools. 0.01 0.10 1.00 10.00
Particle Diameter in Microns (μm)

Using air cleaners to reach your air change rate goal:

eACH is equivalent air change rate. It is calculated by adding all ventilation and air cleaning
strategies. A reasonable target for air change rate in a classroom is at least 6 eACH.

Example eACH for a typical 1,000 ft2 classroom

This eACH calculation may vary based on factors such as the amount
of air supplied from an HVAC system. The graph is provided as a
general comparison between strategies and as an example of
how strategies can be combined for infection control.

Air changes from HEPA air cleaner

Air changes from HVAC filtration
Imagine measuring contaminants in a Air changes from outdoor air ventilation
space and then starting a stopwatch.
At 6 eACH, at the end of 30 minutes, 8
eACH (Air Change Rate, ACH, 1/h)

95% of the original contaminants would 7

have been removed. At a lower eACH, it Aim for at least 6 eACH
would take longer to get the same result. 6
At a higher eACH, it would take less time. 5

3
Even with limited outdoor air and MERV 8
2
filters, air cleaners can help reach 6 eACH.
1

0
1/4 Outdoor 1/4 Outdoor 1/4 Outdoor 1/4 Outdoor
The effectiveness of natural ventilation Air Standard Air Standard Air Standard Air Standard
(usually through windows) can vary. Where + MERV 8 + MERV 7 + HEPA + 2 HEPA
windows are the only outdoor air available, + HEPA
air cleaners are an important strategy
to remove contaminants.

1 2 3
Benefits of Air cleaners
can be used as
HEPA filtration is the most
effective method at
Continuous use of air
cleaners is associated
air cleaners supplemental filtration
when outdoor air
reducing particles like
allergens in the air and can
with respiratory and
heart health benefits
beyond COVID quality is poor, such
as during wildfires.
reduce respiratory
symptoms like asthma.
for both healthy and
at-risk populations.