Americans spend up to 90 percent of their time indoors. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor pollutant levels may be two to five times higher than they are outdoors - and occasionally even 100 times higher.
Using an air purifier to remove impurities is the best way to minimize your risk and exposure to indoor air pollution. How do you pick the best one or even know what to look for?
Start your search here by getting answers to the most common questions we receive about air purifiers.
Our Top Air Purifier Questions
- How much space will an air purifier cover?
- Are air purifiers loud?
- Where should I place my air purifier?
- What are the different types of filters?
- What are the best air purifiers for allergy- and asthma-sufferers?
- What air purifiers are best for pet dander?
- How long should I run my air purifier?
- Is it expensive to use an air purifier?
- Do all air purifiers clean the same type of pollutants from the air?
- Which air purifier is best for me?
âOther Air Quality Questions
- How do I know if I have an indoor air quality problem?
- What does CADR stand for?
- What does ACH stand for?
- What does CFM stand for?
- How much maintenance is required for air purifier filters?
- What happens if I don't change the filter when the indicator light comes on?
- What is a micron?
How much space will an air purifier cover?
Air purifiers are designed to fit a variety of spaces. Portable air purifiers for single rooms typically cover areas up to 700 square feet effectively. Find medium- to large-sized air purifiers here.
Commercial grade air purifiers and whole-house models, which are ducted into your home's HVAC system, can cover larger areas and even multiple rooms.
What are the different types of filters?
There are three main types of air filters:
HEPA Filters
High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters remove 99.97% of particles that are 0.3 microns and larger from the air. This makes HEPA air purifiers ideal for removing small pet dander particles, dust mite residue, and pollen from your air.
HyperHEPA units are certified to work even more effectively than traditional HEPA air purifiers. They are ideal for the cleanest residential air possible.
Carbon Filters
Using activated carbon, carbon filters remove odors and chemicals from your indoor air. These odors and chemicals include cigarette smoke, fireplace fumes, formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds (paint fumes, carpet glues, new building materials, etc.), pet odors, and kitchen odors.
The more carbon in each filter, the more odors they will remove. Find air purifiers with carbon filters here.
Pre-Filters
These filters are a great benefit because they help extend the time between filter cleanings or changes as well as maintain the air purifier's functionality and efficiency. Pre-filters do this by trapping large particles before they reach the main filters of the air purifier.
We also offer a variety of replacement filters if your model needs a replacement.
Where should I place my air purifier?
Most air purifiers are designed to clean single rooms, so naturally, it's best to place an air purifier in the room you spend the majority of your time in. For most people, this place is the bedroom. However, you may also spend a bulk of your hours in a home office or a living area with your family.
Consider purchasing an air purifier with caster wheels that allows you to easily move the unit from room-to-room for clean air anywhere you spend time.
How do I know if I have an indoor air quality problem?
The EPA suggests monitoring your health effects after a change in your surroundings. For example, if you have new health problems after moving, remodeling, refurnishing, or a performing pesticide application, this could be an indicator of an indoor air quality problem. Consult your family physician. Other sources of indoor air quality problems include:
- Toxic household cleaning products
- Pets
- Pressed-wood products
- Poor ventilation
Look for smelly or stuffy air, condensation on walls or windows, or mold growth around your home.
Sylvane carries various allergen test kits to help you identify contamination from radon gas, allergens, mold, toxic mold, formaldehyde, dust mites, fiberglass, and organic vapors.
If you're still unsure, contact your local health department to find professionals to help you solve and identify your indoor air quality problems.
There are also various indoor air quality monitors you can use to check the number of particles in your home's air.
What are the best air purifiers for allergy- and asthma-sufferers?
Proper air filtration is crucial for homes of allergy- and asthma-sufferers, since allergy and asthma triggers can easily find their way into homes, despite your best attempts. Air purifiers that use HEPA filtration are the best choice for sufferers because they remove up to 99.97% of allergens up to 0.3 microns in size from your environment.
The Austin Air Healthmate is an excellent choice for sufferers of allergy and asthma symptoms.
All these units feature multi-stage air filtration, which primarily includes a particle pre-filter, a HEPA filter, and a carbon filter.
Browse more recommended air purifiers for these conditions on our air purifiers for allergies and air purifiers for asthma pages.
What air purifiers are best for pet dander?
Ridding your indoor air of pet dander and odors is crucial, especially when you love your pets. Pet dander consists of several allergens that aggravate sensitive immune systems, including pet saliva, dead skin cells, and even outside particulates brought in by your pet on their coat.
These factors or allergens trigger those allergies and, more often than not, are dispersed throughout your indoor air and on furniture.
For pet-parents, the Austin Air Pet Machine Air Purifier (HM410) is a great selection for eliminating pet dander and odor. It contains a HEPA filter, which is essential for trapping pet dander particulates and eliminating odors through their unique stage filtration.
How much maintenance is required for the air filters?
This varies from air purifier to air purifier. Most air purifiers have two to four filters. For the majority of air purifiers, filters should be cleaned occasionally and changed every six to eight months for optimum results.
However, some models feature permanent air filters that never need changing.
What happens if the air filters are not changed when the indicator light comes on?
With dirty or old air filters, your air won't be filtered thoroughly, resulting in poor air quality and increased risk for allergy, asthma, and other respiratory illness symptoms.
To ensure that your air purifier is performing its best, clean air filters are crucial. Change them when indicated.
What does CADR stand for?
This acronym represents an important measurement for air purifiers. CADR stands for Clean Air Delivery Rate. This measurement was developed by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers.
It indicates the volume of filtered air delivered by an air purifier. It is given in three measurements - one for pollen, one for tobacco smoke, and one for dust. The higher the CADR number, the faster the unit filters the air.
What does ACH stand for?
ACH stands for Air Changes per Hour. This indicates how frequently the air purifier filters or changes all of the air in a given space per hour. For example, an ACH rating of 6 means that all of the air in your room is thoroughly filtered six times per hour.
We recommend an ACH of 5 or 6 for healthy indoor air. For individuals with allergies and asthma, an ACH rating of 6 or 8 is best.
What does CFM stand for?
CFM stands for cubic feet per minute. This measurement represents how many cubic feet of air move through the unit per minute. This is important when considering which air purifier is right for you. The higher the CFM, the better potential air purification results.
Keep in mind that CFM can be impacted by a variety of factors, including fan speeds, insulation, air flow in the room, furniture in the room, and the amount of pollutants in the air. However, there is an equation to help you determine an ideal CFM, which can provide help when deciding on air purifiers.
To find your ideal CFM, calculate the total volume of your space (length x width x height in cubic feet) and divide this number by your desired ACH. Below is a sample equation:
CFM = |
18 ft x 24 ft x 8 ft |
CFM = |
3456 |
CFM = |
691.2 |
What is a micron?
Short for micrometer, a micron is one millionth of a meter and approximately 1/25,000th of an inch. Microns are used to measure airborne particle sizes. This is important because many harmful airborne particles are invisible to the naked eye, making them easily inhaled or distributed throughout your indoor environment.
For example, dust mite allergens can be as small as 0.1 to 0.3 microns, which is considerably smaller than a single strand of human hair that typically measures 30 to 120 microns.
Do all air purifiers clean the same type of pollutants from the air?
The short answer is no. But if you're looking for the best general air quality air cleaning, look for a HEPA filter air purifier. They are considered the best for residential air cleaning.
For more commercial air cleaning, consider a medical-grade air purifier. Brands like Enviroklenz air purifiers offer better-than-HEPA filtration and UV-C lights for killing bacteria and viruses. This UV air purifier is a customer favorite for commercial spaces.
Odor and chemical air purifiers are designed specifically for chemical sensitivities. Not sure which air purifier is best for you? Call us at 1-800-934-9194.
Are air purifiers loud?
The loudness of an air purifier (measured in decibels) depends on a few factors like the model of air purifier, the fan operating speed, and personal noise tolerance.
Keep in mind, most air purifiers are loud at first as they start cleaning your air. But as particles are removed from your air, they will slow their fan speed and naturally become quieter as they work.
Select brands are known for being quieter than others. For example, air purifiers manufactured by Blueair are known to be much quieter overall than models from comparable brands.
How long should I run my air purifier?
For best results, it is recommended to continuously run your air purifier. To help with noise and electricity costs, most air purifiers come with multiple cleaning speeds. For example, to maintain your indoor air quality while you are away from home, your air purifier can be on a lower setting than when you are home.
This saves energy and cuts costs while still maintaining a clean environment.
Is it expensive to use an air purifier?
This is another situation where the answer lies within the differences among air purifiers. Some are much more energy efficient than others. HEPA air purifiers typically consume 50 to 200 watts of electricity.
To put this into perspective, a lamp uses approximately 60 watts and a computer uses 365 watts. Using an air purifier probably isn't going to impact your electricity bill tremendously.
However, if this is a top concern in your search for an air purifier, consider an Energy-Star rated air purifier or find out how many watts an air purifier actually uses before purchasing it.
Which air purifier is best for me?
This depends on multiple factors including the condition you want to treat, square footage, CADR rating, frequency of filter replacements, type of controls, and much more. Ultimately this choice is a personal one, which is why we supply you with the best information to make an informed decision when choosing an air purifier.
We made it easy to find the best air purifier for you based on your answers to three simple questions.
Still Have Questions?
We know choosing an air purifier isn't an easy decision. To learn more about air purifiers, visit our Air Purifier Knowledge Center. Not sure what's best for you? We can take the guesswork out of decision-making. Call us at 1-800-934-9194. We want to help make your indoors healthy and comfortable.
