If you have an air purifier, you know how nice it is to breathe clean indoor air, and how it can help reduce dust and allergens in your air. Air purifiers are a great way to keep your home healthier and improve your quality of life.

But air purifiers require periodic maintenance in order to keep working. Even if you don’t notice a change in your air quality, regular maintenance of an air purifier provides optimal air quality and prolongs the life of your machine.

Replacing the filter on your air purifier is the most common maintenance task, and the most important. If your air filter is dirty and clogged, not only does it impede the effectiveness of the air purifier, but it causes dust and debris that was in the filter to come right back into the air you breathe. Your air purifier is only effective if the filters are clean.

Why You Should Replace Your Air Filter

Over time, the air filter gets clogged with dust, dander, and particulates, and stops cleaning new material from the air.

A clogged filter can release dust, allergens, and irritants back into the air instead of protecting you from them.

A clogged filter reduces air flow, making the device operate less efficiently, and putting more strain on the motor.

Different Types of Air Filters

Most air purifiers use more than one filter, for a single, efficient, multi-stage process for removing particles from your air. Most air purifiers have:

A Pre filter

This is the first stage of filtration and is located closest to the air intake for the purifier. This filter is designed to catch large debris, like pet hair, and prevent it from getting deeper into the air purifier.

A carbon filter

There are several types of activated carbon filters. These aren’t designed to remove any particles from the air, but to absorb unpleasant odors and leave the air smelling fresh when it leaves the air purifier.

A fine filter

Typically, these are HEPA filters, but not always. HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air filter, and it must meet certain standards to earn that designation. Whether the fine filter in your air purifier is HEPA or not, it is intended to catch small particles and trap them, removing them from the air that exhausts from the machine.

Sometimes, one or more of these filters will be called a “permanent” air filter, meaning that you can remove it, clean it, and replace it on your own. Otherwise, you will need to replace air filter for one or more of these filters with a new one periodically.

When to Replace an Air Filter

Generally speaking, you need to replace your air filter when it is dirty and reducing the efficiency of the machine. Every manufacturer has different recommendations for when a filter should be replaced, but the truth is that the life of the filter depends on the amount of pollution in your air. In a fairly clean environment, an air filter will last a long time, but in an environment with lots of particulates and debris in the air, a filter needs to be changed more often. To determine when it is time to replace your air filter:

• Check your owner’s manual and follow the manufacturer’s instructions about when to replace the air purifier filter.
• Some air purifiers have an indicator light, showing when it is time to replace the air filter, and you should always follow notices from the machine.
• On a 3 or 6 month schedule. Generally speaking, if you run your air filter constantly, you should clean or replace your filter every 3 months. If you only operate the device periodically, the filter should be checked every 6 months.
• Seasonally, for allergy sufferers. If you have seasonal allergies, and you use your air filter to remove pollen from the air, then you should change the filter immediately after that season has passed. Replacing the air filter removes the troublesome. pollen from your environment entirely, reducing risk that pollen will detach from the filter and re-enter your air.
• Finally, if you notice that your air purifier isn’t working as well as it did, that there is more dust or particles in the air, or you smell an odd odor, it is time to manually check the filters and make sure they are still working.

How to Replace the Air Filter

Every air purifier is a little bit different, so always refer to your owner’s manual for specific instructions. If you have a Honeywell air purifier, refer to their guidelines for Honeywell air filter replacement. But generally speaking, here is how to do a home air filter replacement:

• Turn off and unplug the air purifier for maximum safety.
• Remove the cover of the air purifier
• Carefully remove the old air filter and place it directly into a trash bin or bag to keep particles from shaking loose
• Remove the new filter from any packaging
• Slot it carefully into the spot where the old filter was, making sure it fits securely in place
• Close the air purifier cover
• Plug in and turn on the air filter

In most cases, that is how you will do an air purifier filter replacement. If you have permanent air filters, in addition to replaceable ones, all the filters should be cleaned or replaced at the same time. It’s a good idea to vacuum the outside of the air purifier or wipe it down with a damp cloth at the same time as replacing the filters, to remove as much dust as possible at the same time.

 

Conclusion

Air filter replacement is an important step in preserving the operating life of your air purifier, and in ensuring that your indoor air is clean and healthy. Make sure to regularly check filters and replace them as necessary, always following the indicator lights on the machine or the manufacturer’s instructions.