The Pros and Cons of Using an Air Purifier

Air purifiers promise to improve your indoor air quality by eliminating dust, pollen, odors, smoke, pet dander, and other pollutants. However, an air purifier may not always be as effective as we’d like to think. 

Should You Use an Air Purifier? Here are the pros and cons you need to know: 

According to test results found by Consumer Reports, some air cleaning devices can decently eliminate smoke, pollen, dust, and other particles. However, there is no air purification system that can clean out your indoor air from all the gaseous pollutants.

A quality indoor air filter unit might be helpful for people who suffer from allergies, asthma, or other respiratory problems, but it’s only fair to mention that there is not enough scientific evidence to back this up.  

When choosing an air purifier, it is important to pay attention to which type it is and what it’s supposed to filter for it to meet your needs. What’s more important, though, is to take the room size guidelines into consideration. Typically, the more budget-friendly air purifiers can only clean one small room at a time.

The good thing about such air filtering devices is that you can easily move them around and take them from one room to another. This way, your whole house can benefit from some air purification. In case you need purified air in a more open space, you should forgo the room air filter and opt for a larger (and costlier) home air filtration system.    

You should also keep in mind that the filters in your air purifier must be cleaned or replaced on a regular basis for your device to keep functioning properly. Otherwise, the unit’s purifying power will remarkably diminish.

It is also worth noting that some models don’t come with washable filters, this means you’ll have the added expense of replacing your unit’s filter every now and then. Plus, these filters are certainly not cheap, costing up to one hundred dollars or even more per filter.  

Another downside is that some air purifiers can only clean the air efficiently when set at the highest fan speed, which is the setting that makes the most noise and uses the most energy. To minimize noise without sacrificing efficiency, you should consider getting a larger unit that you’ll be able to run at a lower speed and still get the air purification you need.  

To help you out, here are the main types of air purifiers to avoid:  

• Activated carbon filters. These may not eliminate certain harmful gases. Plus, they usually come with an inconveniently short lifespan.
  
• UV air cleaner. Although UV light can eliminate mold and bacteria, it doesn’t remove dust and dander. Plus, there’s no guarantee it’ll make your house totally germ-free.  
  
• Ozone generators. Ozone can effectively get rid of mold, mildew, and other air contaminants. But it can cause or aggravate lung damage, asthma, and other serious health issues.  

So, what are the better options? 

• Air purifiers with HEPA filters. You’ll have to regularly clean/replace the filter though.  
  
• Electrostatic air filters, or an ion-generating air cleaner, which attaches electrically charged ions to pollutants, making the particles heavy enough to drop on the ground.  

And since you can’t fully rely on an air purifier, here are some other ways to help you maintain purified air:

• Ventilate your home with outdoor air.
• Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter.
• Use exhaust fans.
• Groom your pets.  
• Avoid any paints, cleaning products, or other household items that have VOCs. 
• Always take off your shoes at your doorstep. 
• Never smoke inside your home. 
• Avoid using candles, air fresheners, and home fragrances. 

What do you do to keep the air in your home clean?