Part of the enjoyment of cigar bars is the atmosphere and the actual smoke. The lingering aroma of the cigars mixed with a little friendly conversation, big-screen TVs, and other must-haves are what keep patrons coming back. What you don't want, however, is so much smoke that you can’t see or breathe.
That's where commercial smoke eaters and air cleaners come into play. But, how do you choose the right one for your cigar bar? Start with these questions.
What Type of Smoke Are You Cleaning?
Your answer will usually be cigar, cigarette, hookah or all three. Cigar smoke is the heaviest and most difficult to handle. Hookah is the lightest smoke.
What Size Smoke Eater?
Commercial smoke eaters are more powerful than residential models. But, obviously, the larger your cigar bar and the more smokers you have in it, the more effective your unit will need to be to mitigate the dangers of cigar smoke. Think about this:
- Size of area - Square footage, ceiling height and ceiling type must be taken into consideration.
- Do you need/prefer a surface-mounted, flush-mounted or wall-mounted smoke eater?
- How many smokers are in your bar at any given time?
- Adequate CFM - You want enough cubic feet per minute (CFM) of airflow to achieve about 10-12 air changes per hour (ACH) - the number of times the air goes through the air cleaner. Calculate the CFM by multiplying your room's length x width x height, then dividing by the number of ACH.
What Type of Smoke Eater?
Once you decide on the size of unit that would handle the output of smoke, you'll want to look at the various types of smoke eaters.
- Media Type – Media units use filters that will need to be changed on a regular schedule. The biggest pro of media smoke eaters is their low maintenance. However, you will have higher filter replacement costs.
- Electrostatic – On the other hand, electrostatic smoke eaters have electronic cells instead of filters. These need to be cleaned, but not constantly replaced like media filters. Electrostatic models trap smaller microns and particle sizes, and are quieter than media-type smoke eaters.
There's a lot to consider when choosing just the right smoke eater. If you still have questions, give us a call at 800-237-9199. We would be glad to help you decide.
