Things you should consider before buying an air purifier for your home

Diwali might have come and gone but some are still celebrating the festival of lights with decorative lamps and firecrackers. The air quality throughout the country has deteriorated and toxic pollutants released from the firecrackers are all around us. Air purifiers are now one one of the necessities for clean air and a healthy life. Air purifiers will help in keeping your home air clean and might even remove droplets containing the COVID-19 virus out of the air. There are a number of indoor air purifiers to select from and the right one might help you breathe better air. Here we have discussed a few tips and tricks to help you choose the best air purifier for your budget and home size.
Quick tips to before buying an air purifier

Choosing the perfect air purifier based on your room size
Firstly, you have to figure out how much space you want the air purifier to clean. Air purifiers which are smaller in size wouldn’t be effective for large spaces like the living room. On the other hand, bigger air purifiers may be too much for a small room. The best way to check is by looking at the ‘air changes per hour’. It will help you understand how filtration works as a smaller air purifier could clean the air in a 350-sq ft room eight times in 60 minutes but can manage just four air changes per hour in a 700-sq ft room. If you are unsure of the size that will be perfect for your room, you should always go for a large one as long as it’s in your budget.
Types of filters used by air purifiers
Most air purifiers use mechanical filtration where the filters physically trap the pollutants that pass through them. Usually air filters have at least two filters — a pre-filter that traps large particles like pet hair and the main filter which traps smaller particles. Some pre-filters are washable or vaccumable while others are disposable, the latter ones can be more expensive in the long run.
The main filter is the more important one and you should always opt for an air purifier that uses a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. This is a standard recommended by the EPA and the American Lung Association. These filters trap 99.97% of particles that are 0.3 microns or larger in size. Do not go for devices that have “HEPA-type” filters as it isn’t rated to meet a HEPA filtration level. HEPA-type filters usually perform very poorly than actual HEPA filters. “True” HEPA filters are also the real ones.
There are purifiers that have additional filters made of activated carbon or charcoal, that trap gases, odour compounds and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). They are designed to take in only a specific number of compounds and need to be changed on a regular basis to be effective. Some air purifiers rely on ionizers or ultraviolet (UV) light. which may also produce ozone, which is a lung irritant that could make any breathing-related problems worse rather than better and can be very harmful for our environment.
Energy Efficient
Air purifiers usually need to be running round the clock for the best impact which can be a factor for your electricity bills. These devices also receive Energy-Star certification as every other device uses different amounts of power depending on the fan speed it is using. Small air purifiers mostly use less energy than larger ones, but large air purifiers with higher fan speeds pull more energy. Some air purifiers have built-in ‘ECO’ modes that power down the device and put them on standby when the sensors detect no pollutants. There are devices that draw very low power while others that draw energy as high as 200W or more.
Maintenance Cost
There are usually some maintenance costs after buying an air purifier. You have to regularly replace the filters as and when needed. The cost for replacing filters varies as some devices use expensive filters that will last longer while others use budget filters that have to be changed more frequently. HEPA filters are usually disposable and have to be replaced entirely, while some pre-filters are washable and can be reused. Calculate the cost every year you need to maintain and compare it with any other air-purification device you might consider before deciding on one.
Producing less noise
Some air purifiers have internal fans that pass the air through a series of filters. Most fans produce almost no noise at low settings, but some start making humming noises as you turn them up. For example, if you are using an air purifier for your bedroom, always go for the ones that are relatively quieter at higher speeds. The specs of the device will reveal noise-level ranges in decibels.
Bonus features to consider
There are some bonus features available in some air purifiers like — filter replacement indicator, display dimming, programmable timer, remote control unit and smart functions (digital assistant and app integration). These additional features add to your convenience, but these devices can be a bit expensive for having these features. If budget is a concern, you should always prioritise the above mentioned factors and can skip these bonus features.