Want to know what a Filter Health Indicator is? We got you!
Air purifiers are amazing devices that can improve the quality of our lives, but this is all true only under one condition: that air filters are well-maintained and kept clean.
Key Takeaways
- If you don’t replace or wash the filter periodically, it will start blowing back the particles into the air.
- When you purchase your air purifier, make sure it has a filter health indicator.
- Some air purifiers come with washable filters.
Why Are Air Filters So Important?
Air purifiers work this way: they suck air in, they blow it through a filter system, and they blow it back into the environment.
As long as filters are efficient, this ensures that the device can actually remove harmful particles from the air.
But what happens when filters are left too long in their place without being cleaned or replaced? When a filter retains some particles, they remain there. With time, the filter becomes more and more saturated with harmful particles until it can’t retain them anymore.
As a consequence, particles would begin detaching from the filters and being blown back into the environment.
As a result, your air purifier won’t be purifying your air anymore, but it will be polluting it. 1
Read: VOCs: What Are They?
How To maintain Your Filters Correctly?
First of all, when you purchase your air purifier, make sure it has a filter health indicator.
It can be a light, a sound, or some text appearing on a digital display, but it has to let you know when it’s time to replace or clean air filters.
Of course, in order to be able to do this, the air purifier must be equipped with some sort of sensor that can “read” the status of health of your filters and let you know when they are not efficient anymore.
Never ignore the filter health indicator!
When your air purifier communicates to you that you need to change the filters, it will become particularly NOT RECOMMENDED to keep using the air purifier before you’ve changed them.
For this reason, make sure to have at least 1 spare filter in the same building where you use the air purifier so that, as soon as the filter health indicator signals the need for a change, you can replace the filter and turn the air purifier back on! 2
Can You Wash the Filter of an Air Purifier?
Some air purifiers do have washable filters. However, there are some things you should know:
- First of all, follow the washing instruction closely to make sure you clean the filter correctly;
- Second, be aware that filters can’t be washed endlessly. The day will come that you’ll need t to replace the filter nevertheless. How can you tell when it’s time to replace a washable filter? When, just after you’ve washed the filter, the filter health indicator signals the need to wash it again, it is time to purchase a new one.
Conclusion
Do not buy an air purifier before you are aware of the importance of the filters and their health and maintenance.
Make sure the air purifier you purchase has a filter health indicator, and when it says it’s time for cleaning or replacing the filter, do as you are told!
FAQ’s
How to tell its time to change the filter?
Take the filter out of the air purifier and hold it 2-3 inches away from your nose. If you smell a chemical like an acidic smell, then it is time to change the filter.
Which filter is better HEPA or Carbon?
Both are equally good in terms of the purpose they serve. If you want your air purifier to remove odor or gas from the air, then choose Carbon filter air purifier and if you want it to remove dust, pollens, etc., then choose HEPA.
Do air purifiers really help with dust?
Indeed, it does. Air purifiers trap the dirt and other tiny particles present in the air and really purifies the air around you.
Kylie has been studying air purifiers for the last 20 years and is an expert in the field. She tests and reviews different air purifiers, letting people know they are worth buying. Kylie writes blogs about the latest air purifiers, their features, health benefits, and more. When she’s not writing or spending time with her granddaughter, Kylie can be found testing new air purifiers to see how they perform.
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