What Makes E.L. Foust Different?
Why Our Air Purifiers Are Better
What Makes E.L. Foust Different?
Have you ever put in a new HEPA filter in your home or business hoping it would remove an odor or fume, only to find that it didn't help? Or maybe it worked for a short time and then stopped?
That's because HEPA filters are designed to capture particles, not most odors, fumes, and airborne chemicals. E.L. Foust air purifiers use activated carbon to help remove these contaminants from the air. Depending on use and the amount of chemicals in the air, our activated carbon can remain effective for 6 to 12 months or longer.
We've been building air purifiers with chemical filtration in mind since 1974 and have spent over 50 years learning from the people who use them.
More Than a HEPA Filter
Our air purifiers filter particulates, or particles, like nearly all other air purifiers. But they also help remove odors and fumes through gas phase filtration. This is done with the 3 to10 pounds of activated carbon used in our air purifiers.
Most store-bought HEPA filters are designed to capture particles, not odors and fumes. Some air purifiers may include a porous black pre-filter in front of the HEPA filter. This is typically a thin polyester pad coated with only a few ounces of activated carbon.
While that small amount of carbon may help remove odors and fumes, it has a much shorter lifespan than the 3 to 10 pounds of granular activated carbon used in our air purifiers. Depending on conditions, some thin carbon pre-filters may last as little as a week.
How We Remove Harmful Chemicals
Air purifier performance is commonly measured using a CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate), which measures how quickly particles are removed from the air. Chemical filtration can be measured using c-CADR (Chemical Clean Air Delivery Rate), which measures how quickly common airborne chemicals are removed.
The five chemicals measured include:
Toluene – Common in paints, adhesives, and solvents.
Limonene (or d-limonene) – Found in citrus-scented cleaners and fragrances.
n-Heptane (or heptane) – Represents chemicals found in fuels and solvents.
Formaldehyde – Can be released from pressed wood products, insulation, and furnishings.
Ammonia – Found in some cleaning products and biological sources.
Our standard carbon mix is designed to help remove these chemicals from the air. A HEPA filter alone is designed to capture particles and does not remove these gases.
Built Differently for a Reason
Over the last 50 years, we've learned a lot about building air purifiers for people who are concerned about the quality of the air they breathe. That has led us to follow a few important design principles. They may cost more to incorporate, but we believe they're worth it.
We don't use plastic components in our air purifiers. Plastics can release VOCs, which are exactly what we're trying to help remove from your air, not add to it. With growing concerns about microplastics, we also believe it makes sense to keep plastic out of the air purifier itself.
We also use adhesive-free particulate filters to avoid introducing additional VOCs into your environment. Our design keeps the airstream away from the motor, windings, and wires. The air comes in contact primarily with the metal impeller, metal housing, carbon, and particulate filter.
These are simple design choices, but they're an important part of how we've built E.L. Foust air purifiers for over 50 years.
Carbon Options for Different Needs
Our air purifiers contain between 3 and 10 pounds of activated carbon to help remove fumes, odors, and airborne chemicals. Depending on use and the amount of contaminants in the air, the carbon can remain effective for 6 to 12 months or longer.
We offer a standard carbon mix that works well for most people, as well as several specialty carbon options for specific needs. These include coconut shell, bituminous, lignite, wood-based carbon, sulfur-impregnated carbon for mercury vapor, potassium permanganate, zeolite, and formaldehyde-control carbon. Different carbon types can also be mixed when needed.
If you are sensitive to certain types of carbon, free samples are available so you can test them before ordering. See our Carbon Choices and Descriptions for more information.
Trusted for Over 50 Years
Since 1974, E.L. Foust has been building air purifiers for people looking for cleaner indoor air. Our air purifiers have performed well in independent lab testing and have been used by people with allergies, multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS), and other air quality concerns.
Our air purifiers can be used in homes, offices, schools, hospitals, industrial facilities, RVs, and other spaces where cleaner air is needed. And after more than 50 years, we still make our air purifiers here in the United States.
Not Sure Which Air Purifier is Right for You?
Give us a call or send us an email. We're happy to help you choose the right purifier and carbon option for your needs.