Finding out whether your air purifier is working as it should or not can be tricky. You won’t be able to tell whether the air purifier is effectively eliminating all these harmful microscopic particles around you or not by just looking at it.
So, how to tell if your air purifier is working, exactly? There are quite a few ways you can go about it, actually; some being more effective than others.
In this post, we shed light on some of the most effective ways to determine whether or not an air purifier is working.
1. Test Your Air Purifier’s Airflow
An air purifier gets rid of pollutants, like mold, cigarette smoke, bad odors, airborne particles, and dust particles, by pulling in and filtering the air then blowing out clean air with the fan. A simple way to ensure that your air purifier is working is to put your hands in front of the fan to check the airflow.
If you feel that your hand is blocking airflow, the device is working properly. However, if you can’t feel anything, chances are there’s something wrong with your purifier.
It’s also worth noting that the fan shouldn’t produce a loud noise under normal operating conditions. For example, when the filter needs to be replaced, you’ll notice that the fan is starting to get louder. It’s not always a filter problem, though; there could be another problem that’s affecting your air purifier’s performance.
If you suspect that your air purifier needs a maintenance session, contact the manufacturer’s technical support team and get it inspected as soon as possible before your device gets damaged.
2. Check the Filters in Your Air Purifier From Time to Time
It’s recommended that you buy an air purifier that has a filter indicator, which blinks when your filters need replacement. However, in most cases, you shouldn’t fully rely on the indicator. It’s good practice to check the filter manually every now and then, just to be sure.
If you see debris, dust, and other particles trapped in your purifier’s filter, this is a good sign that the device is doing its job normally. Make sure to check the pre-filters, too.
However, if the filter looks too clean, there could be a problem with your gadget. Oh, and if the trapped particles are too many to the point that the filter is almost clogged, it’s time to replace it. Discoloration and black spots are usually a good indicator that it’s time to retire the filter.
The “manual” way to check your purifier’s filter is only valid for HEPA filters because it’s hard to tell whether a carbon filter needs to be replaced or not by just looking at it. In that case, you can either just count on the filter indicator or take the device to a professional for inspection every once in a while.
Ionic Air Purifiers
Unlike filter-based air purifiers, ionic air purifiers trap contaminants and harmful pollutants with their metal rods instead of filters. Take a look at the rods and see if there are any accumulated particles once every few weeks.
If the metal rods are as clean as new, then your device isn’t functioning properly. It’s also worth noting that some air purifiers have a dust collection compartment.
PCO Air Purifiers
A PCO purifier eliminates the pollutants it collects, making it hard for you to physically test whether it’s working as it should. However, just like other types of air purifiers, it has a fan that pulls in the air and blows it out after purifying it, meaning that you can test whether it’s working or not by checking the airflow.
3. Install an Air Quality Monitor
Air quality monitors that are preinstalled in most air purifiers are usually not that accurate because they use cheap sensors. To really test whether your air purifier is working as it should or not, use an external air quality monitor.
Air quality monitors come in a variety of types and models, from primitive LCD counters to more advanced Wi-Fi-enabled monitors that can be paired with your smartphone.
Digital air quality monitors give you a real-time overview of your indoor air quality by comparing it to outdoor air quality. Just make sure that you place it in the same room as the purifier. Also, don’t put it too close to the device for more accurate readings.
4. Chemical Tests
This method is a bit complicated and may not be worth the hassle, but it’s one of the most accurate ways to determine how good your air purifier is.
All you have to do is get chemical test kits to detect the levels of volatile organic compounds, mold, allergens, dust mites, and mildew in your room. Do the test once before turning on your air purifier and another time after running it for at least 24 hours.
If your air purifier is performing its function effectively, you should notice a significant drop in the levels of pollution in your room. On the flip side, if the test results remain almost the same or get worse, then something is definitely wrong with your air purifier.
5. The Fart Test
OK, we know that this sounds super awkward, but the “fart test” is actually one of the best ways to tell whether your air purifier is working or not. All you have to do is fart into the device and notice how it reacts. If your device is functioning as it should, it’ll detect the change in air quality and go into overdrive mode.
Keep in mind that this test only works if you have an air purifier with adjustable operating speeds.
Final Thoughts
Ensuring that your air purifier is functioning properly is essential if you want to keep your indoor air quality at its best.
Depending on the type of your air purifier, you can try out any of the methods that we’ve discussed and see which of them works best for you. Enjoy your clean, fresh indoor air!
