How Long to Run Air Purifier?

By
Carolina Evans
Carolina Evans
Research Writer
Holds a Master’s degree in Engineering and is keen on her own home’s climate. Sometimes we think that Carolina owns every single product she writes about – that’s ho read more
reviewed
Reviewed By
Richard Powell
Richard Powell
Expert Consultant
For 8 years, Richard had been working as an HVAC specialist and AC unit installer since his student years. Now, he’s our main consultant on every technical aspect that may read more
Last updated: August 30, 2023
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So you have just bought an air purifier Trusted Source Air purifier - Wikipedia An air purifier or air cleaner is a device which removes contaminants from the air in a room to improve indoor air quality. These devices are commonly marketed as being beneficial to allergy sufferers and asthmatics, and at reducing or eliminating second-hand tobacco smoke. en.wikipedia.org . Finally, you can enjoy breathing clean air at home. Considering how most of the air we breathe in, especially in cities, is polluted, it is smart to buy an air purifier. The next question that might be on your mind is how long to run air purifier?

Ideally, if you would be staying at home all day long, you should be using the air purifier all day long, after all, you don’t want to spend a single second breathing contaminated air. Therefore, in an ideal world, you should be able to run the air purifier all day long. However, that isn’t always practical. That is why we have provided this article. Here, we will discuss in real terms, the recommended time that you should have the air purifier on for. In this post, we will see when and for how long you should run your air purifier. This will help you to get the best results.

How Long To Use It?

One misconception that folks have is that one hour or at most, two hours, of running the air purifier will give you all the air cleaning that you need. However, that is as we described it – a misconception.

There is nothing wrong with running the air purifier for a long time. Air purifiers are often designed for prolonged use. Why? Well, this is because, without filtration, the air you breathe is liable to be contaminated. Humans, pets, HVAC systems, and other things constantly bombard the air with contaminants. Research reveals that the Medify MA-112 is a very effective model that has a huge coverage area.

How Long to Run Air Purifier?

Therefore, the best thing to do would be to always run the air purifier. The downside of doing this is that you will incur plenty of costs, except you are using an especially energy-efficient air purifier. Apart from the cost of running it for 24 hours, it is also detrimental to the device. The parts like filters and the appliance itself would wear out from constant use.

Thus, you should adjust the time you run the machine depending on the rate of extraction.

What is this rate? The extraction rate refers to how much the device can purify in one hour. Good air purifiers should be able to change the air multiple times per hour. Some high-end units can have exchanges of up to 10 times per hour, and even cheaper models can change the air up to 6 times in an hour.

Therefore, you should find out the extraction rate of the machine. Armed with the knowledge of the extraction rate, you should be able to run the machine for half a day or thereabouts.

However, other factors will determine how long you can run the machine. Some of these include the model, the type of purifier, and the manufacturer.

When Should You Use the Purifier?

As we have established, it might not be practical to have the machine run all day, including the times you aren’t home. However, when you are home, you can keep it running. This can include running it overnight.

Running it throughout the night will have a positive impact on your sleep. If you are leaving the house, you should turn it off. If you do not want to switch it off, some of the best models come with the ability to change the mode. You can put it in a mood where it will not use plenty of energy.

You can switch it to a lower setting which will reduce the noise level and increase energy conservation. Some of the best in this regard are filterless purifiers.

You can use the purifier wherever you live, play, work, or do any other thing.

If you don’t suffer from allergies, you might decide not to use the purifier when the weather is nice. Opening your windows will work to remove smells and some particles from your indoor air.

If your machine works a lot, you can reduce the load on it by eliminating the source of smell or air contamination in the home. By regularly cleaning, vacuuming, and dusting, you can reduce the load on the purifier.


Timer Function and Operating Time

Some air purifiers come with some really good features that will help you to get the best from the appliance. If you don’t have any issues with respiratory issues, you will find some of these that come with a Timer function handy.

With the Timer function, you can determine when the appliance would come on or switch off. Reviews show that the Levoit LV-H133 model is an awesome model that comes with a timer and a compact form factor, making it one of the best in its category.

What If You Run It All Day?

Are there any consequences to running the air purifier all day long? Well, there are some consequences. At first, it would serve you well as the air is constantly being cleaned. However, as the purifier continues to run, you will find that you will need to replace the filters very often. Running all day means that it will tarp plenty of pollutants, which will affect how effective the filters will be.

Additionally, apart from the parts of the purifier breaking down, it will increase the cost of running the appliance.

How to Conserve Energy While Air Purifier is on

One good thing about air purifiers is that it might run for a long time without using up a lot of electricity. However, running it all day will use plenty of electricity. So, how can you save some energy while running the appliance?

First, you should only use the purifier when you are at home or the office.

Another tip is to use it based on the weather conditions and the season. For example, you might need to run it longer in the summer because of pollen, but you might reduce the run time in the winter.

Final Thoughts

How long to run air purifier? Well, the length of time depends on different factors. It depends on the time of the year, on your desire to conserve energy and the level of pollution that you want to get rid of. It would be cool if you could run the purifier all day long, but this would quickly wear out the parts and will use up a lot of energy.

References

1.
Air purifier - Wikipedia
An air purifier or air cleaner is a device which removes contaminants from the air in a room to improve indoor air quality. These devices are commonly marketed as being beneficial to allergy sufferers and asthmatics, and at reducing or eliminating second-hand tobacco smoke.
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