What time of year should you use an air purifier?

Author: Mrs. Malika Davis MD  |  Last update: Sunday, February 22, 2026

In winter, indoor air can get worse because pollution and dry air stay trapped. This can cause allergies, breathing issues, and even seasonal depression. Air purifiers clean the air by removing bad smells and making it easier to breathe.

What season should I use my air purifier?

Ambient air quality is worse in the winter and air purifiers help maintain healthy indoor air quality. Air pollution is worse in the winter making it more crucial to clean your indoor air and maintain healthy indoor air quality. Air purifiers even help with dry skin in the winter.

What schedule should an air purifier be on?

This is why most manufacturers will recommend you to leave your air purifier running all day, especially if it comes equipped with an automatic setting. This setting allows your device to monitor the quality of your air in your home for you and to adjust its speed depending on the levels of pollutants that it detects.

Should you use an air purifier year round?

The best season to use a HEPA filter:

Homeowners can benefit from a HEPA filter year-round— both during fall and winter when the flu and cold season is upon us, and also during spring and summer when seasonal pollen can aggravate allergies.

Do air purifiers run up your electric bill?

Regardless of where you live, the good news is, air purifiers do not use a lot of electricity to operate.

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Is there a downside to air purifiers?

What are the downsides of air purifiers? There aren't a lot of downsides to having an air purifier in your home aside from the financial investment. Many ionizers, especially older models, can generate ozone when they are operating, which is known to exacerbate asthma.

What uses the most electricity in a home?

Heating and cooling: 45-50%

The largest electricity consumer in the average household is your heating and cooling appliance. By a long shot. Central air conditioners and heaters use tons of energy in order to keep your home set to the right temperature.

Is it OK to leave air purifier on all night?

It's perfectly safe to keep the device running continuously, and the amount of energy it consumes is very small.

Where is the best place to put an air purifier?

Keep your device away from moisture or areas with high humidity. Place your device at least 6 inches from walls, furniture, or other items while in use. Place your air purifier near the most likely source of indoor air pollution. Consider investing in an air purifier that shuts off automatically with a timer.

Does an air purifier help with mold?

Mold is an obvious health risk in any home, but investing in an air purifier can help limit your exposure. The best among them will ideally offer HEPA-level filtration, with this level of filtration being able to trap up to 99.97% of airborne particles down to 0.3 microns in diameter.

Should an air purifier be on the floor or table?

Specialists recommend placing the device on the floor, because it is near the ground that there is a higher concentration of pollutants. Setting it on a shelf can significantly reduce the filtration efficiency. An important issue is also where not to place the air purifier.

How long does it take to see the effects of an air purifier?

In a typical home environment, an effective air purifier can start to reduce these pollutants within 30 to 60 minutes. Noticeable improvements in air quality are often observed within a few hours, with significant reductions occurring over 24 hours of continuous use.

Which air purifier is the best?

What We Tested
  • Best Overall: Levoit Core 400S Smart Air Purifier at Amazon $220. ...
  • Best Budget: 3M Filtrete Air Purifier at Amazon $103. ...
  • Best for Pets: Rabbit Air A3 Air Purifier at Amazon $750. ...
  • Best for Allergies: Alen BreatheSmart 75i Air Purifier at Amazon $749. ...
  • Best for Smoke: ...
  • Best for Large Rooms: ...
  • Best for Small Rooms:

What is the ideal air purifier schedule?

Every day leave it on for at least 4 hours. If there is a noticeable smell in the room, it is recommended to keep an air purifier on for 8 hours or even longer. In this way, it can have a good indoor purification effect and discharge harmful indoor gases to the outside as soon as possible.

Should the room be closed when the air purifier is on?

Air purifiers work the best when they are used in confined spaces such as closed rooms. You can open the doors and windows for proper ventilation and a supply of fresh air during the day. However, make sure that you close the doors and windows when you use the air purifier.

How much does it cost to run an air purifier all day?

For context, electricity usage is a minor factor in the cost of air purifier ownership. The cost to run Alen's largest unit, the 75i, on its top fan speed 24/7 for a year is likely less than $50. Customers typically run the unit on speed 2 or 3, so the average cost is likely less than $25 for an entire year.

Can one air purifier clean an entire house?

When an efficient, effective, safe unit is selected, whole house air purifiers: Offer air purification without “boundaries” – they clean the air in your entire home. Eliminate the need for multiple air purifiers around the house. Provide air purification without taking up space in the living area of the house.

Is it better to have two small air purifiers or one big one?

Air circulation: If your room has poor air circulation, or is a complex shape (such as an L shape or a long thin shape) then you may benefit from multiple smaller air purifiers to improve ventilation. Two air purifiers placed at different locations in your room may help improve air circulation.

Do air purifiers work when the windows are open?

If you can open a window in a room while the air purifier is working, it is not a bad idea to mix in a little fresh air, as well. Doors opened or closed, it does not really matter. The air purifier is going to clean the area it is immediately contained to, regardless.

Do air purifiers use a lot of electricity?

Room air cleaners are portable, electric appliances that remove fine particles, such as dust and pollen, from indoor air. A standard room air cleaner, operating continuously, uses approximately 450 kWh per year in electricity. This is more than the energy used by some new refrigerators!

How to tell if an air purifier is working?

First, check the system's airflow. A working air purifier features clear, consistent airflow. If the purifier is not blowing out air (easily determined by placing your hand in front of the system), there's likely a problem. If you are unable to hear anything, that's also a sign the purifier isn't working.

Do air purifiers remove dust?

Air purifiers assist in eliminating household dust by helping to clean and purify the air in the home. Dyson's advanced purification machines are engineered with technology that traps dust before it settles on your furniture and floors. Dyson purifiers capture 99.95% of dust and ultrafine particles1.

What raises your electric bill the most?

Heating and cooling are by far the greatest energy users in the home, making up around 40% of your electric bill. Other big users are washers, dryers, ovens, and stoves. Electronic devices like laptops and TVs are usually pretty cheap to run, but of course, it can all add up.

What wastes the most energy in a house?

Here's what uses the most energy in your home:
  • Cooling and heating: 47% of energy use.
  • Water heater: 14% of energy use.
  • Washer and dryer: 13% of energy use.
  • Lighting: 12% of energy use.
  • Refrigerator: 4% of energy use.
  • Electric oven: 3-4% of energy use.
  • TV, DVD, cable box: 3% of energy use.
  • Dishwasher: 2% of energy use.

Does unplugging appliances save electricity?

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, standby power accounts for as much as 5% to 10% of residential energy use, and homeowners could save $100 to $200 each year on utility bills by unplugging devices that aren't in use.

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