I was excited to start using my air purifier when it arrived at my doorstep.
I immediately unboxed it, found a suitable placement for the purifier, and turned it on.
But then I realized: I had no clue which speed to set it at.
I didn’t buy an automatic air purifier, so I had to set the fan speed manually.
And it didn’t help that I couldn’t find that much information online about the ideal speed for my air purifier.
So, I dug deep and played around with the settings until I figured out the ideal speed for my air purifier.
I learned that the ideal fan speed for the air purifier could vary depending on several factors, and it also makes a huge difference.
Today, I’ll talk about the ideal fan speed for your air purifier and other things to remember to get the most out of your air purifier.
Let’s dive into it.
Does Fan Speed Affect Air Purifier Performance?
Fan speed can have a significant effect on your air purifier’s performance.
While certain air purifiers don’t rely on fans, most require fans to circulate the air.
Modern air purifiers are basically fans with a filtration system.
The fan pushes air through a series of filters to purify it before recirculating it in the room.
So, if the fan isn’t functioning correctly or is too slow for the room’s air volume, it won’t clean the air effectively.
Since the fan is one of the essential components of your air purifier, it’s important to take proper care.
After using my air purifier for a few months, I learned that the fans get dirty over time.
And if you don’t clean fan blades, it won’t circulate as effectively, even if it’s on the right speed.
Maintaining your air purifier is crucial if you want it to last a long time.
This is why it’s best to clean your air purifier regularly, including the blades.
That way, you’re sure that the air is circulating correctly regardless of the fan speed, giving you clean and healthy air.
If you bought an air purifier that uses a filtration system, you must pay close attention to fan speed.
Putting the fan at the right speed is key to getting the air purifier to work correctly and effectively clean the air.
If you don’t, you might end up with dirty and contaminated air in the room, even if the air purifier is 24/7.
What Speed Should I Run My Air Purifier?
If you don’t want to think about the fan speed of your air purifier, you can get an automatic one or an air purifier that doesn’t use a fan.
The best air purifiers all use fans, even if you can’t tell immediately.
You must find the right fan speed to get the most out of your air purifier.
Finding the right fan speed can be very difficult if your air purifier doesn’t have an automatic setting.
So, here are a couple of things to consider to make it easier to determine the right fan speed for your air purifier:
Measure the Size of the Room
I highly suggest measuring your room before buying an air purifier.
The main difference between the air purifiers on the market is the areas they can handle.
So, before you get an air purifier, measure the room to ensure you buy an air purifier that can handle the space.
And when you’re ready to start using the air purifier, you can use the room size as a reference point.
The simplest way to set your air purifier is to put it on the highest setting when you first turn it on, regardless of the room size.
This removes as many particles as possible and quickly circulates clean air.
From there, you can lower the settings if you find that it cleans the air efficiently.
However, if you have a larger room, you might have to keep it at a faster speed to circulate the air effectively.
Additionally, you might want to measure the air volume of the room.
To do this, you must multiply the room’s length, width, and height.
For example, if the room is 16 feet by 20 feet with a 10-foot ceiling, the calculation would be 16 feet x 20 feet x 10 feet, which equals 3,200 cubic feet.
Look at the Air Purifier’s CADR
The best way to figure out how much air your air purifier is cleaning is by looking at the clean-air-delivery rate or CADR.
This is a way to visualize how much clean air the purifier can deliver in an hour.
This is measured in cubic meters or feet per hour.
For example, the Coway air purifier has a CADR of 246 for dust.
This means it can deliver 246 cubic meters of clean air every hour.
This gives you a rough estimate of how long an air purifier takes to clean a room.
The CADR is usually measured on the air purifier’s highest settings.
So, if your room has a fair amount of air volume, you might want to use the air purifier at the highest speed to clean the air quickly.
Does Fan Speed Matter All the Time?
As I said earlier, fan speed doesn’t matter 100% of the time.
If you own an air purifier that uses a fan (which most of them do), you need to pay attention to fan speed.
But this isn’t the only type of air purifier available.
An excellent example of this is the in-duct air purifier.
These air purifiers are installed into the HVAC system and utilize filtration, UV-C light, or ionization.
But since these systems purify the air flowing through the HVAC unit, you don’t have to worry about fan speed.
Another example of an air purifier that doesn’t use fans is the ionizer.
These air purifiers release negatively charged ions into the air.
These ions bond with tiny particles floating around, causing them to fall down and stick to surfaces.
While these air purifiers don’t utilize fans, I still don’t recommend using them.
This is because ionizers can produce ozone, which is dangerous if you inhale large amounts of it.
Additionally, ionizers still require you to sweep up or clean the particles that land on different surfaces, which is pretty annoying.
You have to worry about fan speeds for most air purifiers.
In fact, air purifiers with fans are generally the most effective option for cleaning a room or area.
This is why I suggest buying fan air purifiers since they are safer and more effective than air purifiers that don’t use fans.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Air Purifier
Air purifiers offer a lot of benefits to the user.
But to get the most out of your air purifier, you must ensure you’re using it properly.
Here are a couple of tips to keep in mind when using an air purifier to ensure you reap as many benefits as possible.
Use the Highest Setting
I briefly mentioned this earlier, but I’d like to get into more detail about this tip.
I made the mistake of putting my air purifier on the second-highest setting when I first turned it on.
While this eventually cleaned the air, it took a while to eliminate the particles causing trouble.
But if you put the air purifier in the highest setting, it will efficiently eliminate particles in the room quickly.
I would actually recommend leaving your air purifier in the highest settings all the time if it doesn’t have an automatic function.
That way, it’ll be easier to keep the air in the room clean all the time.
Leave the Air Purifier On
Another tip I can give people looking to make the most out of their air purifier is to leave it on around the clock.
Even if the air purifier removes all the harmful particles in the air, new particles are constantly entering the room.
New particles will always make their way in unless you have an air-tight room.
And once they start circulating, you’d want the air purifier to capture the particles and prevent them from entering your lungs.
I recommend leaving the air purifier on as long as possible.
If you can, it would be best to leave it on 24/7.
Modern air purifiers don’t use that much power, so you can leave it on without worrying about your electric bill skyrocketing.
Air purifiers are designed to be left on for long periods.
And as long as there’s a person in the room, I’d suggest turning on the air purifier to keep the air quality as high as possible.
Get an Automatic Air Purifier
If you want to get the most out of your air purifier, I’d suggest getting an automatic model.
The first reason you might want to do this is that automatic air purifiers adjust depending on the air quality.
You can find an air quality monitor on these air purifiers, so you get a reference for air quality whenever you look at the display.
On top of that, the air purifier will automatically adjust the fan speed and other settings depending on the air quality.
For example, if the air quality is poor, the device will speed up the fan to filter out particles faster.
But if the air quality is decent, it lowers the fan speeds so that you don’t use too much power.
Since it’s best practice to keep an air purifier on as much as possible, you might want to get an automatic air purifier.
I didn’t buy an automatic model the first time I got an air purifier and regretted it.
So, to reap the most benefits, I highly suggest getting an automatic air purifier and leaving it on day and night.
Pay Attention to Placement
One last tip I can give those who want to get the most out of their air purifier is to pay attention to placement.
It may not be obvious, but air purifier placement is a huge deal.
Placing your air purifier in the wrong spot might lose functionality, meaning you breathe lower-quality air.
Ideally, you want to place the air purifier in a spot with good airflow.
It’s also best to elevate your air purifier by a foot or two and remove any obstructions to ensure the best performance.
Figuring out air purifier placement is tough, and if you want an easier time, you can check out my guide here.
Conclusion
Fan speed has an immense effect on your air purifier.
If your air purifier’s fan isn’t strong enough, it won’t be able to capture and eliminate particles as quickly.
This means you might end up breathing in more harmful contaminants and particles.
So, it’s always best to ensure your air purifier is functioning at the proper fan speed.
To stay safe, you can always leave the air purifier at the highest speed to ensure it captures all the pollutants in the room.
But if you want an easier time, you can opt for an air purifier with automatic functions.
That way, the air purifier automatically adjusts the fan speed depending on the room’s air quality.
With this air purifier, you no longer have to worry about adjusting settings and just sit back and enjoy clean air.