Air purifiers improve the quality of our indoor air. To do that well though we need to put our air purifiers in a good spot. So, what are the best tips for where to place an air purifier?
The best tips for where to place an air purifier are: place it where there’s good airflow (2-4 feet away from walls and not in corners), remove anything that blocks that airflow, close all the room exits, place the air purifier near the source of air pollutants, place it somewhere off the ground (unless it’s a bigger air purifier), keep it away from other electronics (such as TVs, ovens, and microwaves), keep it away from moisture and humidity, and move it every so often (either from room to room or around one room).
We’ll start with placing them where there’s good airflow first.
8 Best Tips For Placing Air Purifiers
Tip 1: Place It Where There’s Good Airflow
We like certain things to be out of the way. This can keep rooms stylish, comfortable, and safe (no one wants to trip on a cord). Air purifiers don’t do their best when they’re placed out of the way though.
It’s tempting, for example, to put an air purifier in a corner. That creates a problem though: corners have low airflow. This gives air purifiers access to less air, which makes them less effective. Tight spaces like closets or between two couches have the same problem.
Where should you place an air purifier then? Your best bet is at least 2-4 feet (60-120 centimeters) away from a wall. It’s even better if you can place it near a door. Both of these allow your air purifier to take in as much air as possible and to do so right where there’s higher airflow.
Tip 2: Remove Anything That Blocks Airflow
Okay, so you’ve placed your air purifier by a door and at least 2-4 feet (60-120 centimeters) away from a wall. But what if this puts it by a couch or lamp? If this is your situation, you’ll need to make a change. Anything that’s near an air purifier can block airflow to it, making the air purifier less effective. Do your best to keep the area around the air purifier as clear as possible.
Tip 3: Close All Room Exits
This applies to doors, windows, or anything else that lets air in or out of a room. While ventilation is essential to the quality of your indoor air, that can be cared for by a solid HVAC system. If you allow too many ways for air to get in and out of a room, the air purifier can’t catch the pollutants as well. Also, more pollutants are being added that the air purifier has to remove.
To produce good quality air, keep as much of the room closed as possible.
Tip 4: Place The Air Purifier Near Source Of Air Pollutants
Air pollutants can make their way into our homes and workplaces in several ways. It could be as simple as opening the door, it could be the things we bring home with us, come from our pets, our friends, and so on. No matter the way, air pollutants will get inside somehow. Sometimes they even come from inside, from things such as aerosols, fireplaces, tobacco, illness, mold, and more.
Knowing what’s causing these pollutants to show up in your home gives you an idea of where to place your air purifier. Placing one near that source means the pollutants have less time to spread through the air before the air purifier gets them. Generally speaking, use your eyes and nose first to determine these sources, but if that isn’t working, asking for professional help doesn’t hurt.
For a list of possible pollutant sources, please see this piece from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Tip 5: Place The Air Purifier Somewhere Off The Ground (Unless It’s Big)
Air doesn’t just flow sideways, it also flows up. What that means for you is that you’ll want to place your air purifier about 3-5 feet (90-150 centimeters) off the ground. This could be a countertop, table, nightstand, or something else. Doing so improves its ability to clean the air as it’s rising, instead of more so when it’s flowing side-to-side.
This is only necessary for smaller air purifiers though. For bigger ones, they should be fine on the ground.
Tip 6: Keep Away From Other Electronics
Some devices can interfere with air purifiers because they operate on similar wavelengths. These are things like ovens, microwaves, and televisions (although keeping it away from other electronics too isn’t a bad idea). If you need to place your air purifier near one of these, keep it as far away as you can.
Tip 7: Keep Away From Moisture and Humidity
Air purifiers don’t mix well with wet air or moisture in general. The extra moisture can cause a few issues for an air purifier. The first is that the moisture can affect its electronics if they come in contact with one another. The second is that humid air is heavier which increases how hard an air purifier has to work to deal with that air. The last is that humid air can affect the filters in an air purifier, making them less effective or needing to be replaced more often.
Some rooms to avoid are bathrooms, laundry rooms, and right next to where you cook.
Tip 8: Move The Air Purifier Every So Often
Nearly every air purifier can be moved from room to room or moved around inside a room. Some come with built-in wheels and some are small enough to be moved with one hand. Moving your air purifier around a room lets it filter as much of the air in that room as possible. Also, moving it to another room can clear up the air in that room too. You don’t always have to do this, but moving your air purifier around from time to time can improve the quality of your indoor air even further.
Bonus Tips For Placing In Specific Rooms
Bedroom
Your best bet would be a dresser or a nightstand. This allows the air purifier to operate efficiently for air flowing side-to-side and floor-to-ceiling. Just remember to keep it about 3-5 feet (90-150 centimeters) from the wall.
Also, it’s not a bad idea to place the air purifier near your head either. This reduces how long it takes the purifier’s clean air to reach you.
Living Room
A table is a great location for an air purifier. This may block your view of the TV, but a little adjusting of furniture can make this work.
Kitchen
The countertop is your best bet here. Just remember to keep the air purifier away from where you cook.
Other Rooms
Placing the air purifier on a desk is a good choice for an office, although you’ll want to keep the air purifier away from your computer. The guest room is the same as your bedroom. For any other room, make sure you follow as many of the above tips as you can, and the air purifier will do just fine.
Other Things To Remember
Keep Room Size In Mind
Not every air purifier will be effective for every room. Most air purifiers come with suggestions for how big of a room they can clean. So, if the air purifier is recommended for a 300 square foot (27.87 square meters) room and the room you want to put it in is 500 square feet (46.45 square meters), you’ll need to get an air purifier rated for that square footage.
You Can Always Get A Whole-House Air Purifier
These do exist, but you’ll need the help of an HVAC technician to install one in your HVAC system. Still, if you’d like to clean up as much air as possible, this may be the way to go. Then you won’t have to worry about placement at all!
There’s No Such Thing As Perfect Placement
Speaking of placement, keep in mind that there’s no such thing as the perfect place. Using even one of these tips will improve how much you’re getting out of your air purifier. If you can use more than one, that’s even better, but don’t feel like you have to or your air purifier won’t work.
Takeaways: Where To Place Air Purifiers?
Placing an air purifier is not difficult, it just requires a little thinking and care. Doing so improves how well it works, which improves your air, which can help your health. You don’t have to use every single tip at once, but even doing a few can help. So, which tips do you plan to use first and why? Let us know in the comments below!
