4 Air Purifiers For Dog Kennels That Actually Work

One of the major challenges when running a dog kennel is maintaining good air quality. You have to deal with everything from bad odors to kennel cough. Fortunately, you have a helpful solution at your disposal. After you have ensured good hygiene, with the right air purifier your kennel air quality problem can be a thing of the past.

To cut straight to the chase, the 4 effective air purifiers for dog kennels include the,

1. Air Oasis 5000 PRO
2. IQAir GC Multigas 
3. Amaircare 675 Airwash Whisper
4. Electrocorp I-6500 AH 120

After thoroughly looking around, I found these 4 air purifiers were among the most effective you can find online for kennels. They don’t just work for dog kennels but are also effective for dog groomers, vets, doggy daycare centers, and other dog boarding facilities. 

To get the best results from these air purifiers or any others you might try for your dog kennel, you have to know the types of air purifiers that will work for pollutants released in a dog kennel or facility that keeps dogs. You also need to know how to operate your air purifier in order to get the most out of it.

With the hope that this information will help you make the best call for your dog facility when it comes to air purifiers, in the rest of this post I explain all the various aspects of air purifiers you need to consider and why the air purifiers I found are among the most suitable for dog kennels.

Types Of Air Purifiers That Will Improve Your Dog Kennel Air

When trying to improve the air quality in your dog kennel, you are essentially trying to get rid of airborne gaseous and solid particles (also called particulates) in your facility. Particulates include mostly dog hair, dust, bacteria, and dander while the gaseous pollutants in your air are molecules being emitted directly from your dogs or their excretions that cause bad odor.

The odor-causing molecules from your dogs are also classified as volatile organic compounds. So when you are looking for an air purifier for your kennel, you have to look for the types of air purifiers that get rid of both volatile organic compounds and solid airborne particulates.

There are several types of air purifiers out there and I have written about all the different types here. However, for dog kennels, the only types of air purifiers that will do a proper job in improving your air quality include, activated carbon HEPA air purifiers, photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) air purifiers, and HVAC air or better know as whole-house air purifiers. 

Let us look in more detail at how each of these types of air purifiers help keep the air clean in kennels.

Activated Carbon HEPA Air Purifiers

Activated carbon HEPA air purifiers are air purifiers that are built with both a HEPA and activated carbon air filter. The filters are placed at the core of your air purifier and as your device sucks air through itself these filters capture different kinds of pollutants.

While the HEPA filter traps tiny but solid airborne particles, the carbon air filter traps gaseous airborne particles including odor-causing volatile organic compounds. Accordingly, a device with this combination of air filters gives you a holistic air cleaning system, which as required attacks both dander, allergens, bacteria, and odors being spread in your kennel.

PCO Air Purifiers

PCO air purifiers are basically air purifiers that use an intense level and broad spectrum of UV light together with a metal catalyst (usually titanium dioxide) to cause a reaction that destroys air pollutants, turning them into harmless water, dead matter and carbon dioxide. 

In your kennel, PCO air purifiers will remove and destroy particulate matter from the air, kill bacteria, and even destroy the VOCs from your dogs that cause bad smells in your air. 

Just like the usual air purifier, this type of air purifier has air inlets and outlets. However, instead of filters in its core, it contains a reaction chamber where pollutants are neutralized using the broad spectrum UV light I mentioned earlier.

Whole-house Air Purifiers

Whole-house or HVAC air purifiers vary. These are usually a device that is inserted in your kennel’s ductwork or attached to your HVAC’s air handler, to filter out pollutants before air from your duct is released into your workspace or home. 

With HVAC air purifiers, you can either have a PCO or HEPA based purifier. Not only does such an air purifier give you better air purification coverage over your facility but it also keeps your air ducts clean.

Now of these three types of air purifiers, you are really choosing between 2 purification technologies (i.e. PCO and Activated Carbon HEPA) and whether you want a portable device or a fixed built-in device. 

When making the choice between the technologies, I would go with the PCO air purifier if you have an extremely large space (over 2000 sq ft). Less than 2000 sq ft, an activated carbon air purifier will do. The other beauty of PCO air purifiers is that they are low maintenance.

You just have to clean them ever so often and change the UV bulb, usually every 2 – 3 years. On the other hand, activated carbon HEPA purifiers, need regular filter changes for both your carbon and HEPA filter. 

The catch with PCO air purifiers though is that sometimes you will find by the time you need to replace a part the technology has advanced and you cannot find parts for your model. With filter-based air purifiers, this is easier to deal with as filters can be retrofitted. 

PCO air purifiers are also rarer and quite unique devices. I am yet to find any that have generic spares. In light of this, a common complaint with PCO air purifiers is that spare parts are hard to find when you need them most.

As for the choice between a HVAC or portable purifier, I would obviously go with the portable air purifiers if I do not have an HVAC system in place. If you have an HVAC and multiple rooms in which you need your air cleaned, then that’s when it is best to look into getting a whole-house air purifier. 

Otherwise, if I have 3 rooms or less that I need to freshen up the air in, I would stick to portable air purifiers. I would get an air purifier for each room as it works out much easier than getting one installed on your HVAC system. 

So in summary, when deciding on the type of air purifier you need for your dog kennel:

1. Go for a PCO air purifier, if you want good air quality over a greater floor space and lower device maintenance costs.
2. Go for an activated carbon HEPA air purifier, if you don’t want the headaches of finding spare parts long term and if you don’t need to cover a lot of floor space. 
3. Choose a whole-house air purifier if you have the suitable ductwork for it and over 3 rooms in which you want to improve air quality in. Otherwise, simply stick to portable air purifiers.

How To Get The Best Air Quality In Your Kennel When Using Air Purifiers 

When considering an air purifier for a dog kennel, you will find that one thing a lot of people get wrong is going for multiple cheap small air purifiers. If you go this route, it will just end up costing you a lot in filter replacements if you get some HEPA based purifiers. This is also a rather illogical approach with a PCO air purifier.

As a rule of thumb, for optimal air cleansing when getting a portable or movable air purifier, you should get the biggest devices you can for your floor space and these should be able to cover at least 100 sq ft more space than the actual sq ft of your room. I discuss more on what size air purifier is generally suitable in different spaces here.

Next, if you opt for an activated carbon HEPA purifier, make sure to go for a device with a minimum of 15-20 pounds of carbon. This will ensure you adequately remove the bad smells created by your dogs over a long period of time before you need to replace your carbon filter.

For optimal filtration of solid particulates, look for a HEPA filter that can get rid of particles as small as 0.1 microns. Lastly, you have to position your portable air purifier well. The more central you can get the air purifier in a room the better. Also, ensure your device is free of obstructions and gets good airflow and that your air purifier is not in a busy, high traffic area.

The 4 Air Purifiers That Will Work For Your Dog Kennels

So now that you know what type of air purifier to go for and how to get the best results out of your device, we can look at the specific devices I pointed out earlier in more detail.

Air Oasis 5000 PRO Air Purifier

The Air Oasis 5000 PRO is a commercial-grade air purifier. It is an AHPCO type of air purifier. This is an enhanced version of a PCO air purifier. It is specifically tailored towards getting rid of odors including pet and cleaning chemical odors among others.

The air oasis 5000 PRO will also eliminate airborne bacteria and infections in your kennel, preventing the spread of diseases such as kennel cough in your facility. The unit contains a fan and two PCO cells that work to purify air over an open room area of up to 5000 sq ft.

If you get this air purifier, you won’t need to change any filters or do any parts maintenance. You only need to replace the device’s cells when they wear out and this happens every 2 to 3 years. 

The air purifier comes with a notification feature that tells you when you need to replace the cell. Additionally, Air Oasis will also offer you a 3-year warranty, with the expectation that your device will work maintenance-free over the first 3 years you use it.

That said, the reason I would avoid the Air Oasis air purifier is that the only place you can get spare parts for it is directly from the manufacturer. Should the company fail or not be reachable for any reason then your device becomes useless once your purification cells run their course.

Other people have also complained that getting support from Air Oasis for any of their air purifiers becomes very difficult after your device’s 3-year warranty has lapsed. So if you plan to invest in this device for your kennel, I say plan for the worst.

Prepare to replace this device every three years just in case you fail to get replacement parts from the supplier for whatever reason. You can check out the Air Oasis 5000 Pro Air Purifier here at Amazon.

IQAir Health Pro Plus Air Purifier

Now, when it comes to activated carbon HEPA air purifiers, I believe the IQAir GC MultiGas air purifier is a top of the range device. It will deal with airborne pollutants as small as 0.003 which is better than you will get from most HEPA air purifiers.

This air purifier is a heavy-duty device. It’s packed with 12 pounds of high-grade activated carbon in its filtration core and it is well suited to deal with odors and the various pollutants from your dogs if you run a kennel or any other dog boarding facility. 

Unlike other activated carbon HEPA purifiers, its filters can run for over a year depending on how polluted your air is. However, it’s quite expensive to replace the device’s filters and the purifiers coverage is limited to about 1000 sq ft, meaning you may need multiple devices if your kennel area is bigger than that.

A common complaint about this air purifier though is a sweet scent it produces. The problem was apparently caused by its carbon filters not being packaged properly and absorbing the odor from the surrounding material. 

This problem has however been resolved by IQAir sending the activated carbon filter section of the unit separately. That said, be careful when ordering this unit. 

Avoid getting this air purifier from resellers due to warranty issues and some resellers selling older stock which come with the smelly carbon filters.

If you order it through a good source, your carbon filter will come separately and may even arrive on a different day from your actual air purifier. A good place to get the IQAir Health Pro Plus is from IQAir’s official Amazon store here.

Amaircare 675 Airwash Whisper Air Purifier

I know I mentioned earlier that portable HEPA air purifiers are limited to spaces below 2000 square feet but you will actually find that there are some heavy-duty activated carbon HEPA air purifiers that can cover up to 7000 sq ft. 

These devices are however oversized and though they can be moved around, I don’t think they are worth being labeled portable. One such device that is well suited for dog kennels is the Amaircare 675 Airwash Whisper. 

One of these units can cover a room that is up to 5000 sq ft with a height of 8 ft from floor to ceiling. Besides the large size of this purifier, another catch is that you will only get 1 air change per hour (ACH).

Typically for a dog kennel, you need 3 ACH for an activated Carbon HEPA to effectively deal with all the smells and pollutants your dogs produce. So as much as the Amaircare 657 air purifier can cover 5000 sq ft, rather invest in one of these for every 2500 sq ft you need to cover in a room with a height of 8 ft. This will ensure you get over the needed 3 ACH.

The beauty of the Amaircare 675 is that you can also connect it to your HVAC. It works as a stand-alone purifier in a large open room or you can connect it on the return air portion of your HVAC air handler using a bypass installation approach. 

The bypass installation approach further benefits you as it has no impact on your HVAC and does not affect your HVAC warranty. With Amaircare on your HVAC, in no time you will be getting rid of pollutants and pumping back clean and fresh smelling air through your dog boarding facility.

Take caution though, the Amaircare 675 is not the best device for ultrafine particles. This device is all about giving you that heavy-duty large scale cleaning rather than specialized clinical air cleaning. 

Nonetheless, your air will smell fresh and your dogs, customers, staff and you will be satisfied with the quality of air it produces. The Amaircare will get rid of odors, pet dander and dangerous airborne bacteria and viruses in your kennel. 

Just make sure when you are getting this device that you select the correct filter options. For dog kennels, you need the HEPA filter and a heavy activated carbon filter. So you should choose the Plus Annual Kit filter option which comes with an extra activated carbon filter canister. 

To be more specific, the model number of the filter you are looking for is 93-A-16PL02-ET. The carbon part of your filter will last 6 months while the HEPA air purifier will last 2-3 years. You can follow this link here to check out the exact filter at Amazon. 

The Amaircare 675 Airwash comes with a 5-year limited warranty. You can have a look at the Amaircare 675 Airwash Whisper Air Purifier here at Amazon.

Electrocorp I-6500 AH 120

The Electrocorp I-6500 AH 120 is among the most reliable HVAC specific air purification solutions I could find for dog kennels. It is used in large morgues, hospitals, marijuana growing facilities, and police evidence rooms among other places. 

The Electrocorp I-6500 AH 120 is an industrial level activated carbon HEPA HVAC air purifier. At 120 pounds, it has the heaviest industrial strength activated carbon air filter I have seen to date for an HVAC. 

You connect the air purifier to your HVAC’s ductwork and it will ensure the air in all the rooms serviced by your HVAC is clean and smells fresh. The I-6500 AH 120, however, comes at a hefty price tag.

The air purifier is best installed by an HVAC professional and you also wanna make sure to consult with a professional before going out and getting one of these. You can have a look at the Electrocorp I-6500 AH 120 here.

Other Considerations When Improving Your Dog Kennel’s Air Quality With Air Purifiers

Armed with the knowledge of which air purifiers will work for your dog kennel and how to use them effectively, there are just a few more things you should consider with air purifiers when trying to get the best air quality you possibly can in your kennel.

Ensure Good  Ventilation

Number one on my list is ventilation. When trying to freshen up air anywhere ventilation is critical. Moving air is better for odor control than still air. Accordingly, you will find, occasional fresh air from outside is an important first step in dealing with odors and bacteria in your kennel. 

You have to get the air moving as much as possible, and using a good fan or industrial level ventilation (depending on your boarding facility size) in parallel with your air purifier will go a long way in ensuring you get the best air quality in your dog care facility.

Maintain High Hygiene Standards

You are probably already doing this but if you are not, you need to start otherwise, your air purifiers won’t really help you with your air quality issues. You need to implement strict hygiene measures in your boarding facility.

If you cannot implement a proper hygiene system in-house, consider getting a professional cleaning service. Your air purifiers will be fighting a losing battle if you have poor hygiene standards in your kennel. 

Control Your Humidity Level & Temperature

If your air is too humid and warm, your kennel becomes an environment for both surface and airborne bacteria and viruses to rapidly reproduce and for all sorts of pathogens to thrive. 

Your air purifier can only go so far with poor humidity levels. In fact, your carbon filters get saturated even faster and your HEPA filters can get damaged if the air is too moist.

Temperature is easy enough to control with a good air conditioner but when you have too much moisture in your air either due to the weather or moisture from your dog baths, it is a good idea to have an automated dehumidifier.

An automated dehumidifier will detect your kennel’s humidity level and reduce it to the ideal level if it is too high. In short, this will help improve your air purifier’s performance by cutting down the level of contaminants in your air that it has to filter out and also by making your filters last longer.

There are other factors, of course, you can consider beyond what I have mentioned. However, with the information I have provided you here, you now know pretty much everything you really need to know to get the most out of air purifiers for your dog kennel.