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COVID-19 has reemphasized the need for clean indoor air. If properly used, air purifiers are a great way to improve indoor air quality. In today’s post, the  HVAC installation contractors  at Home Air Services share a quick guide on how to get the most out of your air purifier.

How Do Air Purifiers Work?

Despite the number of air purifier makes and models available on the market, they operate under the same basic principle. An air purifier has an intake vent that pulls in air, a filter or device that removes particles and an exhaust vent that expels clean air.

The particle removal stage can vary depending on the manufacturer. Some models utilize one or more layers of HEPA (high-efficiency particulate absorbing) filters, while others use UV radiation to destroy germs, viruses and bacteria.  HVAC companies , ourselves included, recommend air purifiers as a complement to HVAC systems–they are not meant as replacements.

What Is Extraction Rate?

Most marketing literature on air purifiers mention the term “extraction rate”. This refers to how fast an air purifier cleans a room’s air: the higher the extraction rate, the faster it purifies the room. Knowing the extraction rate in relation to its energy consumption can help you identify efficient air purifiers.

Best Practices

The following are some of the best ways to get the most out of your air purifier.

Keep it away from the walls — The intake and exhaust vents need to have at least six inches of clearance in order to operate properly. Placing the air purifier against a wall would block one or more of these vents. Air purifiers work best when placed closer to the center of the room.

Run it in a humidity-controlled room — Humidity can unnecessarily saturate an air purifier’s filters. If your home has a dehumidifier, running it can help improve air purifier performance.

Use the air quality sensor — You can keep your air purifier on auto mode if it has an air quality sensor. What the air quality sensor does is turn the air purifier on when it detects a high concentration of indoor air pollutants in the room. If you have a basic air purifier that doesn’t have an air quality sensor, run it only at certain times of the day, such as when everyone’s in the same room.

Home Air Services is your leading provider of  air conditioning repair  and installation services. Give us a call at (301) 585-8100. You can also fill out our  contact form  to schedule an appointment.