For best results, it is recommended to continuously run your air purifier. To help with noise and electricity costs, most air purifiers come with multiple cleaning speeds. For example, to maintain your indoor air quality while you are away from home, your air purifier can be on a lower setting than when you are home.

This saves energy and cuts costs while still maintaining a clean environment.

The loudness of an air purifier (measured in decibels) depends on a few factors like the model of air purifier, the fan operating speed, and personal noise tolerance.

Keep in mind, most air purifiers are loud at first as they start cleaning your air. But as particles are removed from your air, they will slow their fan speed and naturally become more quiet as they work. 

The short answer is no.

But if you’re looking for the best general air quality air cleaning, look for a HEPA filter air purifier. They are considered the best for residential air cleaning. 

For more commercial air cleaning, consider a medical-grade air purifier.

Odor and chemical air purifiers are designed specifically for chemical sensitivities.

Short for micrometer, a micron is one millionth of a meter and approximately 1/25,000th of an inch. Microns are used to measure airborne particle sizes. This is important because many harmful airborne particles are invisible to the naked eye, making them easily inhaled or distributed throughout your indoor environment.

For example, dust mite allergens can be as small as 0.1 to 0.3 microns, which is considerably smaller than a single strand of human hair that typically measures 30 to 120 microns.

CFM stands for cubic feet per minute. This measurement represents how many cubic feet of air move through the unit per minute. This is important when considering which air purifier is right for you. The higher the CFM, the better potential air purification results.

Keep in mind that CFM can be impacted by a variety of factors, including fan speeds, insulation, air flow in the room, furniture in the room, and the amount of pollutants in the air. However, there is an equation to help you determine an ideal CFM, which can provide help when deciding on air purifiers.

To find your ideal CFM, calculate the total volume of your space (length x width x height in cubic feet) and divide this number by your desired ACH. Below is a sample equation:

ACH stands for Air Changes per Hour. This indicates how frequently the air purifier filters or changes all of the air in a given space per hour. For example, an ACH rating of 6 means that all of the air in your room is thoroughly filtered six times per hour.

We recommend an ACH of 5 or 6 for healthy indoor air. For individuals with allergies and asthma, an ACH rating of 6 or 8 is best.

This acronym represents an important measurement for air purifiers. CADR stands for Clean Air Delivery Rate. This measurement was developed by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers.

It indicates the volume of filtered air delivered by an air purifier. It is given in three measurements – one for pollen, one for tobacco smoke, and one for dust. The higher the CADR number, the faster the unit filters the air.

With dirty or old air filters, your air won’t be filtered thoroughly, resulting in poor air quality and increased risk for allergy, asthma, and other respiratory illness symptoms.

To ensure that your air purifier is performing its best, clean air filters are crucial. Change them when indicated.

This varies from air purifier to air purifier. Most air purifiers have two to four filters. For the majority of air purifiers, filters should be cleaned occasionally and changed every six to eight months for optimum results.

However, some models feature permanent air filters that never need changing.