Air purifiers are fantastic pieces of equipment that can purify the air in your household and keep it clean and healthy. With that said, buying an air purifier is only half the journey. If you’ve finally gotten your hands on one, there’s a high chance that you’re wondering where to put it.
That’s why we’ve created this in-depth guide to air purifier placements. We’ll be explaining the best places in your room to place an air purifier, some key tips on finding the right spot, and even some of the things you want to avoid when setting up your air purifier for the first time.
Read on to learn more.
Balance: The Golden Rule
Your top priority when setting up your air purifier is achieving the right balance.
Generally, experts say that you should place the air purifier in a place where the noise won’t bother you.
Remember, most air purifiers aren’t completely silent.
Even some of the modern options produce some noise when operating – especially when you put your air purifier on a higher level.
And since most people use the air purifier when they’re sleeping or chilling out, it’s important to keep the noise away from you.
With that said, you also need to ensure that the air purifier is in a place where it can effectively cleanse the air.
Remember, the placement of your air purifier can increase its efficiency by up to 20%.
So, if you don’t place your air purifier in the optimal place within your room, you might end up not getting your money’s worth.
That’s why you need to find the sweet spot where the noise won’t bother you and the air purifier still works.
With that said, where should you place the air purifier?
This depends on a number of factors such as the size and shape of your room, the type of purifier you have, and even the devices that you may have in the same room. This can be pretty complicated to figure out, especially since there are so many things to consider.
But if you keep reading, we’ll be breaking down each of these factors in greater detail. That way, you won’t have any questions as to where you should place the air purifier in your room.
Other Things To Consider When Positioning an Air Purifier
While there are countless things to consider when positioning an air purifier, we’ve narrowed it down to four categories. That way, it’s much easier for you to visualize the right place for your air purifier and the things you should avoid when setting it up.
So, here are some of the things to keep in mind when placing an air purifier in your room:
Elevation Is Key
Because of their design, you might be thinking that the air purifier belongs on the floor. However, this is far from the case. In fact, most experts recommend placing your air purifier at least 3-5 feet above the ground for maximum efficiency in air purification.
There are two directions in which air travels: horizontally and vertically. An example of horizontal movement is when the air moves from one door to another while vertical movement is air moving from the floor to the ceiling. And when setting up an air purifier, you need to make sure the machine is getting both types of movement.
One of the most well-known rules of thermodynamics is that hot air travels upwards. So, by raising your air purifier a couple of feet, you give it a better chance of catching hot air along with the horizontal air. That way, it sucks in and filters more air in the room, which will greatly improve the overall air quality in your room.
When you place an air purifier on an elevated surface, it’s much easier for it to filter out dust and other harmful particles and pollutants. On top of that, if you place the air purifier on an elevated surface, it reduces the risk of people tripping on the machine, which is a common problem that people face when setting up their first air purifier.
Place It Close To the Source
Do you remember why you got an air purifier in the first place?
Chances are that smoke, fog, pollutants, or dust has been making its way into your room, and that has been bothering you in one way or another. And if you have a good air purifier, you can eliminate these particles, which can potentially improve your respiratory health.
So, when setting up your air purifier, make sure to consider the reason you want an air purifier and what exact parts of the air you want purified in the first place.
With that in mind, we recommend placing the air purifier as close to the source as possible. So, if you have smoke and dust coming from the window, it might benefit you greatly to put your air purifier near the window. In that same line of thinking, if you don’t want unpleasant odors coming from the hallway entering your room, you may want to place the air purifier next to your door.
However, all of this is easier said than done. One of the hardest parts about positioning an air purifier is determining where the actual source of the contaminants is. So, if you’re having a hard time, we highly recommend using your own senses to figure it out.
For example, if your eyes get irritated by smoke, try to see which areas of the room force you to have a reaction. If your eyes get itchy when you’re near the window, then that’s a sign that the window is where the particles are coming from.
Or, if you have allergic reactions, you can try walking around the room and seeing where exactly your allergies are triggered the most. This is a clear indication of where the pollution, smoke, and dust can be coming from and is a great way to figure out the best area to place your air purifier.
And if all else fails, trial and error is your best bet. Remember, once you place an air purifier near a pollutant, the air quality of the room will improve quite drastically. So, if the air purifier has been on for a while and you’re still getting irritated, that could be a sign that the purifier isn’t in the ideal place.
Avoid Interferences
While it may sound complicated it’s actually very simple. When you set up an air purifier, remember that it’s best left alone and to its own devices. This doesn’t mean you can’t chill out in the room with an air purifier, but it means that you should let the machine do its job. So, you should try and close all the doors and windows of a room when you turn on an air purifier.
We understand that this may seem counterintuitive. After all, don’t most people air out their room by opening the doors and windows?
Yes, if you don’t have an air purifier with you, then we recommend opening a door and window to cleanse the air.
However, with an air-purifying machine, things are a bit different. The more air you let into the room, the machine will have a harder time doing its job.
This is because once more air enters the room, it gives the purifier a harder time to keep the air within your room clean and fresh.
Remember, most of the time, the reason the air in a certain room smells or doesn’t feel right is because of particles from outside.
If you leave more doors and windows open, the more particles you invite inside, which completely defeats the purpose of the air purifier.
However, if the windows and doors are closed and the air purifier is on, you will instantly notice the difference.
With that said, if you have a hot room, make sure to place the purifier in a cold place to prevent overheating since the windows and doors will be closed.
Keep It Away From Other Electronics
Windows and doors aren’t the only interference you have to worry about. While most people don’t know this, the other electronics in your household may actually interfere with your air purifier.
This is because a lot of these devices function on the same wavelength, which won’t be productive if all the machines are on at the same time.
Generally, stereos, microwaves, and televisions should be far from your air purifier.
So, if you have a TV in the room with the air purifier, make sure to place the machine far away from your stereo system.
While many modern purifiers won’t have this problem, it’s better to stay on the safe side by not placing these electronics beside each other.
The only time that it would be fine to place your electronics next to your computer or other electronics is if it explicitly states that the air purifier works when close to computers.
For example, some purifiers are labeled “computer-friendly”, which means you can place the machine next to other devices.
What To Avoid When Positioning an Air Purifier
Now that you know what to consider when setting up your air purifier, there is one last step that you need to consider, and that’s what to avoid when positioning your air purifier.
These are common mistakes that people make when setting up their air purifiers that are actually very easy to avoid. The things you should avoid when setting up an air purifier include:
Moist Areas
When the air is moist or very humid – it actually gets heavier. For example, the air in the bathroom and kitchen will be significantly heavier than the air in the living room.
And for your air purifier, the weight of the air is very important.
This is because to create airflow with heavier air, the air purifier needs to work significantly harder.
On top of that, the filters inside the machine (especially HEPA ones) don’t react the best to moisture.
While they will still be able to filter out the air, it greatly reduces its capacity, which can end up shortening the life of your filter and even your air purifier.
So, avoid placing the air purifier in humid rooms.
Additionally, if the room already has a humidifier, you can still place the purifier.
Just make sure to place the devices on opposite sides of the room while also keeping the humidifier in the lowest setting.
Corners
If you’re tempted to place your air purifier out of the way in one corner of your room, don’t. While it might look better in terms of aesthetics – doing so will significantly reduce the effectiveness of your air purifier.
This is because the corner of a room has the lowest airflow, which means that the purifier has to work harder to keep the air within the room as purified as possible.
And even when it does work at 100% capacity, it won’t be as effective when placed in a corner.
So, take your air purifier away from those areas and instead, put it on an elevated surface near the source of the pollutants that you want to avoid.
Remember – Your Air Purifier Is Portable
The beauty of modern air purifiers is that you can easily move them around. With these devices, you can try and test out different areas of the room. That way, you can see for yourself where the air purifier works best,
If it’s your first time owning such a machine, you’ll likely have to go through some trial and error until you find the right place for it.
However, if you make sure to practice patience and really take your time figuring out the optimal position for your air purifier, you’ll find yourself breathing healthier and cleaner air before you know it.