Maintaining clean, healthy indoor air is essential for your well-being, especially for individuals who spend a significant amount of time indoors. Clean indoor air is also crucial for individuals with respiratory illnesses who experience major obstructive flair-ups when the air they breathe is contaminated. One way homeowners combat unhealthy air in their homes is by installing an air purifier. While this device is an invaluable addition to your home, you may wonder how often you should run an air purifier.
In this blog, we’ll discuss what an air purifier is, its benefits, how frequently you should run the device, and whether this is the right upgrade to your home’s HVAC system. If you have an air purifier or are considering investing in one, keep reading to learn more.
What is an Air Purifier?
An air purifier is a device designed to filter the air in an individual room or home, removing pollutants, allergens, and contaminants that cause respiratory irritation. These systems are often equipped with filters like HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air), activated carbon, or UV technology that can capture particles as small as 0.3 microns. These devices help to reduce the amount of airborne pollutants that may be present in your home, making the air cleaner and healthier to breathe.
What Does an Air Purifier Do for Your Home?
There are numerous benefits to investing in an air purifier for your home. Some of the most significant advantages of installing an air purifier in your home include:
- Reduced Allergens: Air purifiers can significantly alleviate allergy symptoms by trapping dust, pollen, pet dander, and other allergens. This may be a great addition to your home if you struggle with allergies, especially in the spring.
- Removal of Airborne Contaminants: They filter out harmful pollutants, including smoke particles and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from household products. These airborne contaminants are most commonly found in urban areas or homes near manufacturing facilities.
- Combating Odors: Air purifiers can neutralize unpleasant smells, keeping your home fresh. If you have pets in your home, this system does a wonderful job of tackling the scent that may accompany them.
- Improving Air Quality for Health: An air purifier reduces potential irritants, making an environment safer for people with asthma, respiratory conditions, or a weakened immune system.
How Often Should You Run an Air Purifier?
How often you run an air purifier will depend on factors like the room’s air quality, type of air purifier, and the presence of pets or smokers. If you want to run an air purifier in your home, here is a breakdown of best practices for the system:
- Continuous Operation: To maintain the best air quality in your home, it is generally recommended that you run an air purifier continuously. Most modern systems are designed for continuous use and have energy-efficient features to help you avoid raising your monthly energy bill. When you run an air purifier nonstop, you ensure consistent removal of pollutants and allergens.
- Day and Night Use: If your air purifier is installed in your bedroom, you can run the system at night to help you breathe easier while you sleep. Running this system while you sleep is especially beneficial if you have allergies or asthma.
- Set to Automatic Mode: If your air purifier has an auto mode, it can adjust its settings based on the detected air quality, ensuring it works only as needed and conserves energy. This is a great addition to homes with smart HVAC systems, as it will complement the other systems greatly.
Who Needs an Air Purifier in Their Home?
While an air purifier is a great addition to many homes, several people benefit most from using these systems. Some people who will benefit most from running this system in their homes include:
- Allergy and Asthma Sufferers: If you deal with chronic asthma or allergies, you may be able to reduce allergens in the air if you run an air purifier throughout the day.
- Pet Owners: When you run an air purifier in your home, you can catch the hair, dander, and odor that comes with your pets.
- Smokers or Homes with Smokers: Air purifiers equipped with activated carbon filters can help reduce smoke particles and related odors.
- People Living in Urban Areas: If your home is in a city or industrial zone, you are more likely to face higher air pollution. When you run an air purifier, it can catch these pollutants, helping you maintain cleaner indoor air.
- Families with Young Children or the Elderly: These groups are more vulnerable to poor air quality and can benefit from an air purifier’s extra protection.
Breathe Easier with R&D Heating & Air
When you run an air purifier consistently, you can significantly enhance the air quality in your home, providing health benefits and added comfort. To make the most of your air purifier, it is best to choose a device with suitable filtration and run it regularly to ensure your home stays a healthy and welcoming space for your loved ones.
If you’re considering upgrading your home with an air purifier, turn to our R&D Heating & Air team for support. Our team has years of experience helping homeowners across the Roy, Utah, area and beyond find the perfect home HVAC upgrades. Whether you want to install an air purifier, upgraded heater, or air conditioner, we’re ready to help.
When you are ready to upgrade and invest in an air purifier for your home, don’t hesitate to contact us for support.
