An air purifier helps to relieve your allergies and ridding your home of stink. There are lots of benefits to having an air purifier. So you must observant to buy it. But a significant question may come in your mind, how to tell if air purifier is working?
An air purifier is an incredible device that use to clean your indoor air. You can’t see polluted air in your naked eyes. This air may be harmful to you and also others. The air purifier plucks out those invisible pollutant dirty air and plays a vital role in breathing fresh air.
You can’t see the air so that you won’t know if the air is purified. So, to solve this problem we have come to help you. This article gives you practical instructions to understand air purifiers’ fundamental things. You can also know how to tell if the air purifier is working from this article.
Table of Contents
Working process of an Air Purifier
An air purifier consists-
- A filter or multiple filters
- A fan
Air purifiers usually have one or more filters. The purifier has a fan that sucks in air and helps to remove pollutant particles. The filter separates the air and the pollutant particles, bringing the air back to its previous position. Paper or fiber filters are attached to the air purifier. Filters work for capturing particles and pollutants from fair and filtrate the air. The fan sucks in that filtrated pure air and circulates it. The filters can neutralize bacteria, mold & fungi, dust mites, pollen, household odors like cooking smells, and cigarette smoke. These need to be replaced regularly. If it is damaged again, a new one can be added.
Types of air purifier
Before knowing the air purifiers, you have to knowledge about the types of air purifiers. There are many models of air purifiers in the market. Among them, I am highlighting the descriptions of the prominent air purifiers.
1. HEPA Air Purifiers
HEPA means High-Efficiency Particulate Air, which is authorized by the Department of Energy. It is one of the standards for particle removal from the air. HEPA purifiers can remove 99.7% of particles from the air, which is larger than 0.2 micron. It is quite common.
2. Ionic Air Purifiers
This air purifier uses charged molecules to remove the pollutant particles in the air.
3. Ozone Generator
It also works as ionic purifiers. It converts oxygen into ozone instead of adding electrons to the particle. But it is quite risky for the reactivity and instability of ozone.
4. Adsorbents
This purifier uses its adsorbent materials to trap the particles in its surface excepting absorb. Thus, this removes odors, fumes, and chemicals in the air. Activated charcoal is the most used adsorbent material.
5. Ultraviolet Air Purifiers
Ultraviolet radiation is using for eliminating bacteria and airborne viruses. Here, these are some common and types of air purifiers. Nowadays, the most used and overall better HEPA air purifier is Levoit. So, let’s know about it.
6. Levoit Air Purifier
With a certified True HEPA Filter, Levoit air purifier is one of the most significant air purifiers. It can clean 99.97% of airborne particles, which is 0.3 micron in size. It also can filter air pollutants and clear the allergens. Each of Levoit air purifiers has come with different but fantastic features. But there is an unchanged feature, and that is three stages of filtration. These are:
- Fine Preliminary Filter: It catches fibers, lint, and pet furs types of large particles.
- True HEPA Filter: It captures a 0.3-micron size, 99.97% airborne particles.
- Activated Carbon Filter: It absorbs odors, smoke, and other permanent pollutants.
In addition to these, there are many air purifiers that you can use, I promise.
- For Bedroom: Levoit
- For Large room: Alen Breathe Smart Classic Large Room
- For a Small space: Molekule Air Mini+
- Filter-Free: Airdog X5
- stylish: Blueair Blue Pure 411
- Allergies: HPA100 Honeywell
- For Odors: Healthmate Austin
- LED Lighting room: PARTU
- Smart cooling system: Dyson DP04
Perfect location to place an air purifier
It would be best to place an air purifier in an open area, where blows enough airflow from all sides. In that position, it plays its best performance and pulls the air from all directions. But don’t place in a tight spot or corner and never cover it with anything.
How to test air purifier and to tell if the air purifier is working
Though you are using the air purifier practically, it’s common to doubt something you can’t see. Several questions may come in your mind. Is the air purifier working correctly? Or is it just for a show?
So, the solution is testing an air purifier. If you don’t know how to test an air purifier, then try the following steps.
1. Run a test with an Indoor Air Quality Monitor
To test your air purifier, checking the airflow of the air purifier is a simple way.
The air purifier has a fan that pulls the air inside the room. As the purifier filters filtrate harmful pollutants, it will circulate clean air.
But if the cleanser is on and not spread the air, then you may ensure that it’s not working accurately.
In general, the fan shouldn’t be working hard to draw in and circulate air. If the fan behaves like that, then you may need to change the filter. As opposed to, it is also a problem if the air purifier doesn’t make any sound. Probably, the fan is not sucking in enough air to develop the indoor air.
2. Checking the air purifier’s filters/checking for circulation
Mostly, the reason behind not working your air purifier is a bad filter. Filters force air to clean your indoor air. It traps particles like mold, pollen, and other mites. In fine, the filter will get clotted. Therefore, you have to replace the filter.
There have filter service indicators in some purifiers, which tells you when you need to replace your filter. But, manually checking the filter is essential. The maximum of the filter indicators is only timers. They help you to know the recommended replacing time frame of your filter has passed.
However, your purifier won’t long-lasting in polluted areas. That’s why you will have to replace it often.
Many purifiers have multiple filters, and you should regularly observe them. To clean the HEPA filter, you need special instructions from professionals. Be careful enough when cleaning. Otherwise, the collected bacteria or other pollutants may release into the air.
You should also check if there are any black spots or discoloration when observing the filter. Overall, it needs to be replacing when it looks dirty. You should monitor the filter manually. Or else, the grimy filters can obstruct the device’s efficiency to clean the air. Usually, you can replace the filter within six months.
3. Using an Indoor Air Quality Monitor
It doesn’t mean that a clean-looking filter is spotless. There have so many pollutants, which are too small to see. For this problem, using an air quality monitor is the perfect solution.
To check your purifier’s performance, using an air quality monitor is an effective way. The test is easy enough. Firstly, take a reading from the monitor during the purifier is off and then turn it on. Any development of your indoor air quality while closing all the doors and windows, all the credit goes to your air purifier. You can place the air quality monitor near the purifier vent or the room you often use to hang out.
Generally, your purifier takes time between 30 minutes to a few hours to clean the indoor air. It depends on your room size and shape. If the air purifier doesn’t change the air quality in such an amount of time, you can ensure that it is not working.
Now, you may think you already get an air quality monitor with the air purifier then, why you require another one. Avowedly, the monitor that made by your air purifier is unfaithful, and it gives inaccurate readings. The monitors are constructed with cheap monitors, and that’s why you shouldn’t believe these readings wholeheartedly.
Moreover, the cleanest air in the room is available only around the purifier. So, these readings are not accurate readings of the room. Hence, you have to use an extra air quality monitor.
4. Monitor the filter indicator
If the filter service indicator is not flash or lit, you can ensure that your purifier works perfectly. Most air purifiers have the filter indicator in the control panel. The filter indicator flash when the air purifier is clogged or worn out. And it indicates that it would be high time to replace the filter for air purifier work.
After replacing the filter, don’t forget to reset the filter indicator light to initiate the countdown timer anew.
Some of the air purifier filter indicators are so advanced that they will help you know the real-time filers usage. Whenever you feel the air purifier’s competence has dropped, you can monitor and replace the filter.
These four are the main instructions. You can also follow some additional instructions like physical checks and using chemical test kits.
Also Read: How Long Should I Keep My Air Purifier On
FAQ
1. How long does it take to notice a difference with an air purifier?
Suppose you’ve selected the accurate purifier for your room size. In that case, you can notice a difference between 30 minutes to 2 hours in general. Sometimes, it takes only 20 minutes to notice a difference in your indoor air.
2. How long does it take for an air purifier to work?
The air purifier takes 30 minutes to 2 hours to clean the entire room thoroughly. It’s mostly dependent on the room size, fan speed, and the purifier purifying coverage. A four-speed running purifier would take only half of the time than the two-speed running purifier takes. You can run your purifier 24 hours a day according to your need.
3. How do I know if my HEPA filter is working?
A simple air outlet test and an air quality monitor will help you know if the HEPA filter is working. The air outlet test defines that you have to stick a particle counter in front of the HEPA filter. Then check, how many particles can come out. If the particles won’t come out, your HEPA filter is working well.
Conclusion
How to tell if air purifier is working? Now you should answer it yourself. Nevertheless, the device doesn’t work; then, your air purifier may be unable to cover the entire room. So, it would be best if you replaced it with that purifier, which entirely covers your full space. A week after purchase, if it fails to comply with the instructions, you should quickly go to the shop. The right product must have the money back condition or warranty cards. So, they have to change or repair the device.