Good to know
Do you need an air purifier at home? We find out
We wash our floors, our bedding, our surfaces – but how often do you ‘clean’ the air in your home? Flinging open the windows on a clear day will change the air but it’s arguably beneficial to freshen it up when you can’t. Mould spores, dust, bacteria, pet dander, pollen, cooking fumes and smoke all contribute to making the air indoors up to five times* more polluted than outside. It’s no wonder that air purifiers are becoming more popular.
What is an air purifier?
While you’ll find many different designs, air purifiers often work in the same way. They use a fan to suck the air in with one or more filters to capture particles, before recirculating cleaned air. They may have different fan speeds – a faster fan means the air will be freshened more quickly but creates more noise. Each one should state how many air changes per hour (ACH) you can expect, and the size of the room to which it’s best suited. For example, an air purifier designed for a small space will be less effective in a large room, as it will struggle to clean the volume sufficiently for a frequent full air change.
What can an air purifier do?
An air purifier’s filters determine what it can capture. Most have a washable pre-filter for large particles and a finer one, usually a HEPA filter. This captures tiny airborne particles and will need to be replaced a couple of times a year (check the cost of new filters before you commit). Some also feature carbon filters, which sweep up smells and gases, including VOCs (volatile organic compounds), from household products and cooking. In order to be effective, it’s advisable to run an air purifier most of the time, so work out its energy consumption before you buy.
