As an expert in air purification, I have been asked countless times about the best practices for using an air purifier. One question that frequently arises is whether or not the room should be closed when the air purifier is in use. My answer is a resounding yes - keeping doors and windows closed is crucial for the effectiveness of an air purifier. At Smart Air, a social enterprise certified by B-Corp, we are committed to providing simple and practical air purifiers while also offering free education to protect people from the harm of air pollution. Through our own tests conducted under real conditions, we have discovered that even without an air purifier, simply keeping doors and windows closed can significantly reduce particle pollution levels. To ensure consistency in our tests, we opened a window to let in outside air (and outdoor air pollution) until the particulate pollution was equivalent to that outside.
This allowed us to accurately measure the impact of having an open window on indoor air pollution levels. We chose two days with high levels of outdoor air pollution (February 14 and 15) to conduct these tests. In our own office, we use the supercharged Smart Air Blast, which can clean up to 130 m2 of space. But what about situations where keeping windows open is necessary? Will an air purifier still be effective? The short answer is yes, but it may not have as significant of an impact. For some people, keeping windows open is a necessity for various reasons. However, it's important to understand that a stream of air or an open door can cause unfiltered air to enter a room faster than the purifier can process it.
This means that even with an air purifier running, if doors and windows are left open, the air quality in the room may not improve as much as it could. So why is it so important to keep doors and windows closed when using an air purifier? The answer lies in the way air purifiers work. These devices use a fan to draw in air and pass it through a series of filters, trapping pollutants and releasing clean air back into the room. If doors and windows are open, the purifier will have to work harder to keep up with the influx of unfiltered air, reducing its overall effectiveness. Additionally, keeping doors and windows closed also helps to create a seal in the room, preventing outside pollutants from entering. This is especially important during times of high outdoor air pollution, as it can significantly impact the air quality inside a room. Some may argue that keeping doors and windows closed can lead to a stuffy or stale feeling in a room.
However, this can easily be remedied by opening a window for a short period of time to allow for some fresh air to enter, and then closing it again. This will not significantly impact the effectiveness of an air purifier. In conclusion, as an expert in air purification, I highly recommend keeping doors and windows closed when using an air purifier. Not only does it help to improve the overall effectiveness of the device, but it also helps to protect against outside pollutants. And for those who may need to keep windows open for various reasons, rest assured that an air purifier will still have some positive impact on indoor air quality.
However, for optimal results, it's best to keep doors and windows closed whenever possible.
