Air purifiers represent some of the most effective options to keep the air quality at the highest standards. They can clear out all kinds of pollutants and allergens and come up as an excellent choice for those with various allergies or respiratory problems, such as asthma. But then, the efficiency of your air purifier depends on more factors. Assuming that you have chosen the best air purifier for your needs, its location in your house is just as important. So, where to place air purifier?
Most people plug their purifiers in the most common areas, only to target as much space as possible. However, this is not always the case. You need serious consideration regarding its location. There are two major decisions in the process. Apart from the location, you also need to consider the perfect room for your purifier.
Sharing Our Best Experience on Where to Place Your Air Purifier
Close to the source
As a general rule of thumb, the air purifier should be installed close to the source of pollutants or allergens. For example, if you smoke inside your house, the air purifier should be close to the smoking area. On the other hand, if there is one area that smells a bit funny or tends to get moldy, the air purifier should go next to it.
The closer this appliance goes to the contaminating area, the more efficient it will be in ensuring clean air for your family. The same rule applies if you cook a lot or if your neighbor smokes a lot and some of the odors go to your home. Place the purifier as close as possible to the vent then.
Clearing out odors that do not come directly from your home can be a bit challenging, but placing the air purifier in the optimal location can annihilate all those particles.
Away from most electronics
These days, everyone’s home is full of electronics. You have the big ones – such as your TV – and a bunch of small things around, such as a tablet or a laptop. Simply put, there is an electronic in pretty much every room of your house. You are so used to some of them that you may not even notice them as you look around the house.
The problem is that a few electronics out there will run on similar wavelengths. In other words, if you place the air purifier close to them, they can cause all kinds of interferences. Simply put, air purifiers hate electronics, so keep them away from stereo equipment, microwaves or TV sets.
Then, there are also a few modern options out there. They are computer friendly, so small electronics will not harm them.
By themselves
You will end up facing a lot of contradictions when not sure where to place it. For example, an air purifier is extremely effective when the air is trapped inside the room. In other words, windows and doors should be shut. The purifier is faster in cleaning the air and there are no interferences from other rooms. As you open a door, the air will flow, so the purifier will try to drag air from the outside.
On the same note, you do need some fresh air, so opening windows seems perfectly normal. But then, an air purifier works on things that you cannot see. Dust, pollen and odors will inevitably get in if you open the window, despite the fake feeling of fresh air. It feels fresh because it is new and perhaps a bit colder than what you have inside, but this is it. In terms of purity, it is worse.
In the summertime, when temperatures go high, having the air purifier close to a window can tackle some particles before they even make it indoors.
Off the ground
Unsurprisingly, lots of people place their air purifiers on the ground. It makes a bit of sense, right? Unless you get a tiny unit for a small room, such appliances normally go on the floor. Keeping it off the ground comes with some extra benefits though.
First of all, you can easily prevent tripping hazards. It happens to everyone at times. You forget about a wire and you drag your appliance around the room. If it is too heavy, you will only unplug it. All in all, you risk damaging it, as well as hurting yourself.
Second, having the purifier off the ground will also boost the cleaning efficiency, as it can trap particles close to the ceiling at a more efficient rate. It does not mean that you should hang it by the ceiling. Simply keep it about five feet above the ground – somewhere in the middle between the floor and ceiling.
If you do not find it too fancy sitting on a piece of furniture, you can find air purifiers with wall mountable fixtures.
Portability is great
Most air purifiers are portable – both the tiny ones weighing a couple of pounds and the large ones weighing 20 pounds. In other words, you should not face too much hassle moving your purifier from one room to another. You can place the unit in the living room during the day while you read a good book or watch TV, but you can also take it to the bedroom an hour before hitting the bed.
While most people are aware of the portable profile of most air purifiers, not all of them will actually take advantage of this aspect. Instead, they will just place it in one room and leave it there forever.
Avoid excessive moisture
Keep in mind that an air purifier is not an air dehumidifier. Therefore, when asking yourself where to keep air purifier, do not get it as close as possible to the most humid part of your home – such as the laundry room. Got a steamy bathroom? Are you cooking? The air purifier should not be inside the bathroom as you shower for half an hour, just like you shouldn’t keep air purifier near the cooking area.
You can, however, run both a purifier and a dehumidifier at the same time. If the air purifier gets too much moisture, its filter will require more frequent replacements.
Avoid corners
Everyone makes this mistake. People place their air purifiers in a corner – facing the other corner. They believe that such a position will expose the whole room to the appliance. They believe the wider the vision, the better the result. This is only a misconception. Your purifier is not a camera.
Indeed, you do want the purifier to have access to the entire room. After all, the air is usually drawn in through the frontal part, so it requires access to as many particles as possible. You should avoid placing it behind furniture, but at the same time, going under shelves is a bad idea as well.
For maximum efficiency, you need a couple of feet around the purifier. It may look awkward on a pedestal in the middle of the room, but you can easily place it on a dresser or a table for maximum efficiency.
Frequently asked questions
Here are a few common questions people ask when not sure where to put air purifier.
Does it matter where I put my air purifier?
In terms of efficiency, it does. Follow the above-mentioned rules and you will skyrocket its efficiency.
Where should an air purifier be placed in a bedroom?
The same rules apply to every room.
Can you run an air purifier all the time?
It is actually recommended to keep it running round the clock – some units come with air quality sensors and will turn on and off by themselves for maximum efficiency.
Can you put an air purifier on the carpet?
You can, but it is not the most efficient location. It will be more efficient at about five feet above the ground.
Final words
The bottom line, there are lots of answers to take into consideration when asking yourself where to keep air purifier. The bad news is that most purifiers do not come with detailed instructions on the perfect location for maximum efficiency. Plus, people fail to educate themselves on this matter. However, a little attention to small details will work a long way and can seriously make the difference in the quality of the air you breathe.