Where to Place 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 10, 2023
HVACLifehack.com is reader-supported. We may earn a commission through products purchased using links on this page. Learn more about our process here

Clean air is essential to healthy living. However, human activities have increasingly increased air pollution, not just outside the home but even in homes and offices. Therefore, some have said that it is nearly impossible to have clean air. However, air purifiers are an excellent solution that can help you to breathe clean air all day long. There are several things involved in using an air purifier correctly. It is essential to know where to place air purifier.

In this post, we will discuss all the important things that you need to know about these appliances, as well as important tips on placement, maintenance, and features to consider when buying an air purifier. So, while it might be tricky for some to know where to place air purifier, this guide will guide you in simple steps and will help you know what to do right.

Benefits of Air Purifier

Air purifiers are awesome devices that offer a host of benefits. In this section, we will consider some of the best benefits offered.

Relieves symptoms of Asthma

A report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Trusted Source Asthma in the US - CDC The number of people diagnosed with asthma grew by 4.3 million from 2001 to 2009. From 2001 through 2009 asthma rates rose the most among black children, almost a 50% increase. Asthma was linked to 3,447 deaths (about 9 per day) in 2007. Asthma costs in the US grew from about $53 billion in 2002 to about $56 billion in 2007, about a 6% increase. Greater access to medical care is needed for the growing number of people with asthma. www.cdc.gov reveals that 1 in 12 people suffer from asthma or other related respiratory issues. These are often triggered by pollutants in the air, ranging from dust to pollen and pet dander. If you suffer from such issues, an air purifier is an excellent appliance that can help to eliminate these causative agents in the air.

Removes Odors

Whether you are looking to get rid of smells from the kitchen or other smells around the home, an air purifier comes in very handy.

These appliances not only take care of the odors in the air but can also help to remove harmful chemicals in the air. If you live near a motorway, the emissions from the vehicles can have a bad effect on your health. But if you have the best air purifier for smoke, you will be able to live indoors without worrying about the chemicals and smells since the air purifier will filter these away.

Improves Your Sleep

Where to Place Air Purifier?

When you have these appliances, you can be free from allergens like bacteria, dust, dust mites, and so on. These excellent air purifiers will help you to sleep better, and you will enjoy more energy during the day.

These are but some of the numerous advantages to having an air purifier in your home.

Reduces Chances of Airborne Diseases

Cold and flu are some of the common airborne diseases that millions suffer from every year. You can protect yourself and the family from such sicknesses by getting an air purifier. The common airborne diseases are usually because of the pathogens that are found in the air.

Especially in this pandemic time do you need to ensure the best air quality in your home.  If one person were to contract an airborne disease, it is easy to have it spread all around the home. With an air purifier, you can keep the disease at bay.

That is why we recommend that you get a purifier with HEPA filters. These filters are especially effective at catching bacteria and viruses that can cause diseases. When you eliminate the cause of all these airborne diseases, you will keep the family safe.

Eliminates Radon

Radon is a silent killer that is unfortunately found in many homes. It comes from the breakdown of radioactive elements that are used in some building materials. It doesn’t have any color or odor, which makes it especially dangerous.

It is emitted from stones, soil, granite and can seep into the home through cracks in the floor or the wall. It is dangerous as it can damage the lining of the lungs, which can lead to cancer. Thousands of people die from radon poisoning every year.

What can you do to reduce the risk of radon poisoning? You can get an air purifier! This device is designed to keep the air quality great at all times. Especially good are air purifiers that come with activated carbon filters. These filters are effective at getting rid of gases and chemicals, including radon.

Eliminates Asbestos

Another thing that can be dangerous to health is asbestos. In the past, roofing materials, pipes, and other things around the home has asbestos in them. If you currently live or work somewhere that still has asbestos, you might be exposed to asbestos. The asbestos particles can be found in the air.

It can be very dangerous to your health. It can cause lung disease. It can lead to swelling in the face and cause other bad things, including lung cancer.

To protect yourself from something this insidious, you should get air purifiers that have HEPA filters.

Improves Life Expectancy

As we have seen, pollution can affect your health in more ways than one. The chemicals and gases all around can affect the health and can shorten lifespan. But if you have the air purifier, you will protect yourself from all of that. This, in turn, will increase your life expectancy.

Types of Air Purifiers

Where to Place Air Purifier?

There are several types of air purifiers on the market, and these come with different filters. Although most of the best models come with HEPA filters, there are still several other types of filters. Some of these include the Activated carbon filter, UV light, and more. The best models often combine one or more types of filters.

HEPA Filter

This is arguably the best type of filter because of the ability to trap small contaminants. The contaminants caught by this filter are so small that they cannot be seen by the naked eyes.

Activated Carbon

This type of filter is great because of the ability to trap smells and odors. It is best used to complement the HEPA filter because it isn’t really good at capturing particles like virus and bacteria.

UV Light

As the name implies, air purifiers with this type of technology use UV light. The UV light or radiation is good at killing microorganisms like bacteria and viruses. It is also usually paired with other types of filters.

Ozone Generator

These are air filters that generate ozone with the aim of absorbing odors. You find these in hotels and similar places that are not immediately habitable. It should be noted that ozone is not too good for humans. So, you should be careful when you choose an air purifier with an ozone generator.  It might even end up causing more respiratory issues.

From our reviews and research, the best purifiers often come with HEPA and Activated Carbon filters to clean the air.


Main Rules of Placement of Air Purifiers

Now that we have considered the advantages of air purifiers, let us now focus on where to place an air purifier. The best placement for air purifier depends on several factors, and we will analyze them in this section.

Place It Near the Odor Source

If you have a purifier mainly for getting rid of bad odors, then the best place to put it is near the odor source. When it is placed near the source of all that terrible smell, it will help to eliminate the smell at the source. Some of the best air purifiers come with very powerful filters that concentrate on eliminating odors.

Once placed close to the odor source, you will not smell the odor anymore.

Room Size

Another thing that will affect the placement of the purifier is the size of the room. An air purifier for cars will have a different capacity and power to air purifiers for a larger space like the living room. You should therefore determine the capacity of the air purifier and whether it would be powerful enough to cater to the needs of the space. Reviews have shown that the AeraMax 300 is the best small purifier for smoke removal in big spaces.

Floor Positioning

The air in the room either moves horizontally or vertically. The hotter air moves upward. Therefore, if you place the air purifier off the ground, you will be able to filter all the air movement in the space. It has plenty of air to suck in and this will allow it to quickly clean up the air. Reviews show that the Hamilton Beach TrueAir is the best of its kind due to the three filters and its compactness.

In our opinion, though, some of the best models are those that are installed on the wall.

The bottom line is that if you want optimum performance, keep the air purifier off the floor.

Place In Places With Plenty Airflow

A good quality air purifier will help to clean the air and do so quickly. You can aid it by placing the purifier somewhere that has as much air as is possible. Therefore, look to place it near a window, doorway, or somewhere with loads of airflow.

Another reason to do this is that more airflow will have a larger size of pollutants. Therefore, it will be more effective when placed in such spots.


Taboos

In this section, we will look at what you should not do when looking for a place to put the air purifier.

Don’t put it in a corner

Placing the air purifier in a corner is taboo. Why? Because corners do not have sufficient airflow. If placed in a corner, you will stop the appliance from effectively cleansing the air.

Don’t place obstacles in the vicinity

Another thing that you should beware of is placing obstacles in the path of the airflow. These will impede the airflow of the purifier. Therefore, never place it behind a shelf or at the back of the TV.

Don’t place in places with high humidity

If you place it somewhere with high humidity, then the air would be heavier. This will cause several complications. For one, the appliance will require more energy to work. Secondly, it will affect the ability of the filters.

Consequences of Bad Placement

The consequences are just what you might expect. The air purifier will not be effective at cleaning the air for you. It will use more energy than is required.

Final Thoughts

Location is very important when deciding where to place air purifier. Now that you have seen the tips on proper placement, we believe you will do it correctly.

If you decide to change the location sometime in the future, the tips and taboos of placement that we have considered in this post will assist you to place it properly.

References

1.
Asthma in the US - CDC
The number of people diagnosed with asthma grew by 4.3 million from 2001 to 2009. From 2001 through 2009 asthma rates rose the most among black children, almost a 50% increase. Asthma was linked to 3,447 deaths (about 9 per day) in 2007. Asthma costs in the US grew from about $53 billion in 2002 to about $56 billion in 2007, about a 6% increase. Greater access to medical care is needed for the growing number of people with asthma.
Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

X