When To Use an Air Purifier

Person turning air purifier knob.

Investing in air purifiers is a great way to improve indoor air quality in your home. They boast impressive potential health benefits, including a reduction of allergens, smoke, or other airborne pollutants. Unfortunately, these devices are energy hogs when left running 24/7.

Luckily, there are ways to reap all the benefits of an air purifier while not wasting electricity.

Keep reading to learn how to use an air purifier efficiently.

In Brief, How Do Air Purifiers Work?

There are five different types of air purifiers. All of them pull in air, remove particles or pollutants from the air, and expel clean air. This air filtration process takes time, which is called the “extraction rate.” Check your model’s manual to learn about its extraction rate. This will tell you the minimum time it needs to purify the air in a room.

Although it’s tempting to simply run your air-purifying device all the time, this wastes a lot of energy and runs down your filter life prematurely. Instead, operate purifiers for only part of the day. For example, in the evening when everyone in your household is home. You will still receive all the benefits they provide.

How Fast Can an Air Purifier Clean the Air in My Room?

There are several factors that impact how fast it will take your air purifier to cycle through the air in your room. These include:

  • The power rating of the air purifier.
  • The particle rating for your air purifier’s filter.
  • How fast the air purifier can pull in and cycle air.
  • How much volume your air purifier is rated for.

These factors will vary by make and model. When choosing to run your air purifier for only part of the day, be sure to run it long enough to cycle through the air in your room. Consider the manufacturer’s recommendations for square footage to determine how long you should run your air purifier.

When to Use an Air Purifier

First, assess your personal needs and the type of air pollutants you have. Turn purifiers off when you aren’t home or spending time in the space. If you use an air purifier in your bedroom while you sleep, instead consider turning it on for just a couple of hours before bedtime, and turning it off while you sleep. Additionally, be sure to turn your air purifier off while you’re at work.

If you enjoy hobbies that bring fumes, dust, or other allergens into your home, try turning the air purifier on in that part of your home but just while you’re actively working on the project.

Air purifiers work most efficiently when there isn’t fresh air circulating in your home. So keep windows and doors closed while running your air purifiers.

Some air purifiers come with automatic timers or other energy-saving settings! If you want to keep the device on for extended run times but still save power, try a lower setting.

Finally, consider which seasons involve the most allergens for you and your family. You may really only need to run your air purifiers during the spring and summer months, for example.

Improve Your Indoor Air Quality with Help from Aire Serv

Did you know you can ask Aire Serv® to check the indoor air quality (IAQ) in your home? Don’t leave your air quality up to chance, take charge of your indoor air quality with help from your local Aire Serv. Call or request an appointment online, today.