Where is the Best Place to Put an Air Purifier in a Room?

Learn why placement matters when using an Air Purifier & tips for optimizing its performance for better results.

Where is the Best Place to Put an Air Purifier in a Room?

When it comes to air purifiers, the best place to put them is near a window or door, where there is a lot of air flow. This helps to lift dust, mold, and other particles and distribute them around the house. The air purifier should be placed on the wall, and raised and secured in the same way you would hang a picture. Having only one air purifier in the home is not enough in most cases.

To get the best out of it, it must be placed correctly to deal with different types of airborne pollutants. Placing it on the right will reduce the number of pollutants in the air that could harm your body. It will also generate less noise, require less maintenance, and need fewer filter changes. You and your family will benefit from cleaner and more consistent air.

However, if you don't place it correctly, it can reduce its performance by up to 80%, and increase electricity costs due to longer operating times. Let's discuss why it's important to place an air purifier correctly and some tips for optimizing its performance. The best place to put an air purifier is near the entrance or windows with high moving air circulation that helps distribute clean air around the room. It should also be placed as close as possible to sources of contamination to capture contaminants before they spread.

Never place it in a closed corner, near electronic devices, or under a window. Do not place an air purifier in the corner as this has the lowest indoor air flow point which significantly affects its performance. Leave at least 2-4 feet from the wall for proper flow circulation. Many people make a common mistake when they need to free up interior space and prevent the device from becoming a trip hazard by placing it too close to walls or furniture.

This prevents the air vent from drawing dirty air in and releasing clean air out because there is not enough air space. For air purifiers that release clean air at the top or front, point them towards yourself or sources of pollution. For example, an air purifier next to the bedroom door should be in front of the bed, while its back should point towards the exit. Note that orientation is not as critical as placement. An air purifier works best when placed in an open space or open room where it can remove airborne particles from all directions with few obstacles in between. The airflow circulation of the air purifier can also cover several rooms by opening doors.

For optimal airflow distribution, avoid leaving it in tight spaces such as under a shelf, inside a cabinet, or behind furniture. Never place objects such as clothes, sheets, coins on or inside the air vent. The only caveat of placing an air filter in an open space is weaker performance than in an enclosed area with closed windows and doors. An air purifier will not work well when placed next to appliances such as an oven, microwave, and TV as this could cause interference since electronic devices can operate at similar wavelengths. Keep them separated by leaving at least 2-4 feet between an air purifier and any electronic device. Heat from sunlight will damage an air purifier when you put it directly under windows or on a windowsill for an extended period of time. Keep all windows and doors closed as long as there is an air purifier in place; this will work best by preventing clean air from escaping and dirty particles such as pollen, dust, germs and carbon monoxide from entering the air.

Doing so will also prevent the air cleaner from overloading since its workload is limited to circulating air in the room. However, if you're not using an air purifier, it's best to keep windows and doors open so that fresh air can get in and replace stale air. The size of the air cleaner does matter as it determines the size of its filter, engine fan and number of technologies it can fit into; consider its airflow capacity before placing it in a room. For example, if an air purifier can cover up to 200 square feet of room space, you should only place it in a room no larger than 200 square feet. Since they work best with high ceilings, you'll also need to consider ceiling heights greater than 8 feet; a more powerful one is needed for large rooms with high ceilings. Most manufacturers will recommend a room size for their particular model; however you can also use Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) numbers to determine usability with at least two-thirds of the room size. Yes, you can put an air purifier anywhere in the room to enjoy fresh clean air wherever you go; you can even take it room by room for larger ones. For large ones we recommend placing them in the most polluted room; keep them away from very humid areas such as bathrooms and tight places such as sofas, beds and armchairs that will obstruct entry and exit of air.

Irene Rosenzweig
Irene Rosenzweig

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