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Where Should I Place My Air Purifier?

By: Sheryl Cannes
Updated on: February 02, 2024

When it comes to air purification, location matters.

To successfully improve the air quality of a space, the air purifier needs to eventually pull all of the air in the room through the purifier’s filtration or purification system. You can’t put the air purifier just anywhere to do that efficiently.

Strategic placement creates the conditions under which the air purifier can make the most difference to the indoor air quality.

Ideal Locations to Place an Air Purifier

Every home and room is different. While you have to consider where an air purifier can best do its job, you also have to think about how it affects the room’s traffic pattern and ability to function as needed. The best place may be in the middle of the room, but most people don’t want a large air purifier in the middle of their bedroom or living room as a tripping hazard.

Central Location

Every air purifier has a tested square footage in which it works best. It’s essential to match the air purifier’s coverage capacity with the size of the room. Otherwise, you risk the air purifier making little if any difference in the room’s overall air quality. An air purifier designed for a 150-foot square room won’t perform well in a 300 square foot room, for example.

The most popular air purifiers are portable air purifiers. But for larger rooms, you’ll need a bigger air purifier. Some homeowners opt to install whole-house air purifiers instead, but these expensive models must be integrated with the home’s HVAC system. The work and financial commitment for that kind of air purification usually goes beyond most people’s needs or budget. Of course, if you or someone in your family has severe asthma or allergies, you may need the extra power of a whole house purification system.

Once you have an air purifier of the right size, think central. You want the air purifier to come in contact with as much of the room’s air as possible. You also want the fresh air it releases to be in the areas you’re most likely to breathe. That makes a central location pivotal to the air purifier’s functionality and efficiency. Central doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to be in the middle of the room, but it also can’t be hidden behind large pieces of furniture or a room divider. You have to find a happy medium between central and “in the way.”

Near the Source

Most people buy an air purifier to target specific issues in their home. It could be mold, allergens, smoke, or volatile organic compounds (VOCs). You’ll have better air purification if the air purifier is placed near the source of the problem.

In a home with cats, an air purifier near the cat’s bed, litter box, or scratch tree prevents pet dander from spreading to the rest of the room. Polluted air may come in a window while odors may originate in a bathroom or kitchen. An air purifier placed near these locations can remove airborne particles before they spread into the room’s general air supply.

Room to Breathe

The air purifier needs a certain amount of clearance near the air intake. Try to avoid corners and behind furniture. These locations prevent the purifier from pulling as much air through as it should, and it limits its ability to clean the whole room’s air. Each manufacturer has a recommended clearance, but most air purifiers require two to three feet around each side for safe, effective air purification.

Away from Other Devices

Any devices that affect the room’s airflow or humidity shouldn’t be run at the same time as an air purifier. Air purifiers are also sensitive to electronics, which can cause interference with the purifier’s functionality. Turn off devices that change airflow or humidity and place the air purifier several feet away from cell phones, laptops, and televisions.

At the Entrance Point

Allergens and pollutants enter your house through windows and doors. If you can rid the air of dust, pollen, and smoke before it moves throughout your home, you’ll have noticeably cleaner air. Consequently, an air purifier near the main entry points can make a big difference in the indoor air quality.

Bedroom Placement

Clean, fresh air in the bedroom has been shown to help you sleep deeper and feel more rested. For that reason, air purifiers are a popular addition to many bedrooms. However, their placement is even more important in this most intimate of spaces.

Too close to the bed and the purifier can create a draft that dries the sinuses and contributes to nasal congestion and snoring. Too far from the bed and you won’t get the full benefit of the air purifier because it’s too far away. Most people find a placement that’s five to six feet from the bed to be the right distance. That puts the sleeper within the air purifier’s direct radius without overdrying.

Know the Air Purification Type

Placement matters, but only if you have the right kind of filter or purification. The best air purifier removes the specific contaminants that are problematic for you. HEPA filters, for example, remove pollen and some viruses and bacteria by trapping the particles in a thick web of fibers. They’re effective enough to capture particles as small as .3 microns.

Activated carbon filters, on the other hand, have an incredibly porous surface that absorbs rather than traps unwanted particles. That makes them a better option for removing odors from smoke and fumes. Some can also absorb bacteria, viruses, and mold spores. UV air purifiers kill bacteria and viruses using UV rays.

Ionizers work by producing charged ion particles that attach themselves to unwanted air particulates. The added weight of the ions causes the particulates to drop out of the air. Some of the bonded particles attach to electrostatic plates on the purifier while others simply fall out of the breathable air space onto the floor or furniture. From there, they can be swept, dusted, or vacuumed for final removal.

Many air purifiers combine filters and purification methods to increase the number of contaminants they remove. For example, some purifiers have a HEPA filter, activated carbon filter, and UV purifier. A multi-step approach takes care of more contaminants with a single appliance.

FAQs

Are air purifiers portable?

Most air purifiers are fairly portable. There are even models made to wear on your body. However, most people don’t want an air purifier for every room in their house. Portable air purifiers let you move the air purifier based on where you need it most. Children with allergies may need one in their room while they sleep, and then the living room when they’re enjoying family time. Allergy sufferers may move an air purifier with them from room to room during allergy season. If you really do need and want an air purifier for each room, make sure their size and capacity are suitable for the different spaces.

Should I leave my air purifier running all the time?

Air purifiers are designed for 24/7 use. You can’t keep the air as clean as possible unless the purifier constantly filters the air. You can turn down the fan speed to save energy when there aren’t a lot of people in the house, but it should be kept running at all times, even if at half power.

Conclusion

Where should you place an air purifier? Air purifier placement should provide easy access to contaminants, not disrupt the traffic flow, and put the clean air where you are most likely to breathe it. The ideal location will be slightly different for each home. But as you decide on the particles you’re targeting, the right location will present itself. Then you can enjoy better indoor air quality with each breath.

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