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.
When placing your air purifier, DO: Place it where there is the most airflow. Target entry points, like a doorway, a busy hallway, or a window. It is ideal to place an air purifier near windows since it is there that contaminants can easily enter your space.
Using an air purifier while sleeping is generally the same as using one while awake. If you are sensitive to dryness, then it might be best to be sure that the purifier isn't blowing directly into your face. Otherwise the air that an air purifier moves while you sleep is the same as a fan – just cleaner.
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.
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.
Air purifiers work by forcing air through the filters to remove pollutants. Every time you turn off the purifier, pollutants begin to accumulate again, making it more difficult for the purifier to do its job. Leaving the air purifier on continuously will allow new contaminants to be removed as they are introduced.
Typically, a high-quality air purifier like those from Alen can start showing noticeable air quality improvements within 30 to 60 minutes. However, achieving optimal results throughout your entire space can take several hours, depending on the conditions.
Many people think that switching it off during the night or when they're not present is a logical energy-saving measure, but it is recommended to keep it running constantly. Once you turn off your air purifier, the air quickly becomes contaminated again with mold, dust, dander, and other pollutants present in the air.
We recommend elevating it no higher than 5 feet off the ground, and this can be done by placing the air purifier on a piece of furniture, such as a dresser.
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.
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.
Even with the doors open it will have to work harder to clean both rooms because of the layout of the space. Air purifiers are portable, so it's best to move them around throughout the day and keep them where you're spending the most time.
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!
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.
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.
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.
Choose a Central Location
Place your air purifier in a central area of the room to allow for efficient airflow and circulation. This means you should keep your device away from walls, corners, and other obstructions (more on why in a second).
The reality is, air purifiers offer an effective option for helping remove particles from the air that circulates in your home. How effective depends on a number of factors, starting with the quality of the air purifier. A high-quality whole-home air purifier filters the air for your entire home.
Pre-filters should be gently vacuumed every 1–3 months. Many air purifiers have a pre-filter that captures larger particles like hair and dander before they reach the main filter, protecting your main or carbon filter so it doesn't clog up as quickly. Clean pre-filters frequently, about every 1–3 months.
It's perfectly safe to keep the device running continuously, and the amount of energy it consumes is very small.
Air Purifiers Should Be Placed on the Floor in Most Cases
Most airborne pollutants, including dust, pet dander, and pollen, tend to settle due to their weight, leading to increased pollution in lower indoor areas. So placing the air purifier lower helps capture these pollutants effectively.
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.
From wet dog smells to burned food and cigarette smoke, air purifiers can help reduce these various unpleasant odors, making your home continuously smell fresh. At Alen, we have a couple of odor mitigation options–the Fresh filters with activated carbon and our proprietary odor neutralizing Odor filters.
But even those big-ticket cleaners can't eliminate your exposure to air pollution because the act of vacuuming itself kicks up significant debris, according to Jeffrey Siegel, PhD, a professor at the University of Toronto specializing in building engineering and indoor air quality.
At the top of our list are Dyson Air Purifier Cool TP07 and Dyson Purifier Humidifier+Cool Formaldehyde TP09, highly recommended and rated by many experts.