What You Need To Know About HEPA Filters: How Long Should They Be In Operation?

Because they remove dangerous airborne particles, air purifiers are now considered essential. But is there a best approach to use it that will optimize its advantages? How long should it run throughout the day?

To keep your indoor air clean, experts advise running your air purifiers with HEPA filters for at least 12 hours. To determine whether the performance of your air purifier can meet your need to eliminate pollutants from the air within your home, you may also take into account its ACH and CADR.

Continue reading to learn more about how long a HEPA filter should be in operation to maximize its effectiveness. This post will also address whether or not you should close your windows when using an air purifier, where in your room is the best spot to install it, and whether or not these HEPA filters are harmful.

How Long Should My Air Purifier Be Running?

The industry standard for efficiency and efficacy of filters used in air purifiers is now HEPA filters, also known as High-Efficiency Particulate Arrestance or High-Efficiency Particulate Absorbing filters. According to claims, these filters are capable of eliminating 99.97% of airborne contaminants.

Pollen, pet dander, germs, dust, mold, and other particles measuring at least 0.3 microns in size fall under this category.

Just keep this in mind if you’ve never heard of this unit of measurement before. Your hair has strands with diameters ranging from 50 to 100 microns. Now that you know how minuscule these contaminants are, let’s move on.

Because HEPA filters are constructed from millions of fiberglass fibers that are intricately woven together to form a thin mesh, they are able to perform this function. They may capture even minuscule pollutants in its mesh, preventing them from affecting the quality of the air within your home.

So, in essence, we’re talking about air purifiers that use these filters when we question how long we should run our HEPA filters. These gadgets aid in enhancing indoor air quality.

To maintain high indoor air quality, experts advise using your air purifiers with HEPA filters at least 12 hours every day. You can use these elements to help you decide how long to run your HEPA filters, though, if you’re worried about your energy usage or the HEPA filters being overused.

ACH
It stands for Air Changes per Hour. This is a reference to how quickly your air purifier can clean the air around it.

To learn more about your air purifier’s ACH performance, check the product information. If it shows 1 ACH, it signifies the interior air needs to be cleaned in one hour.

CADR
For Clean Air Delivery Rate, go here. It has to do with how many pollutants the air purifier can remove at once. Once more, you must consult the product literature to determine the projected performance given the size of the space.

For a room measuring 100 square feet, the EPA mandates that air filters have a CADR of at least 65. Make the necessary adjustments based on your unit’s CADR and the size of your space.

Calculate the ACH and CADR of your air purifier with a HEPA filter to find out how long it should operate in your house. Just consider the numerous health advantages you stand to earn from this!

You will be happy to know that these filters are taking care of the task so you can have less symptoms or attacks if you or members of your family are prone to allergies and asthma attacks. Additionally, air cleaners aid in eliminating the unpleasant smell of cigarette smoke. Your house is healthier and cleaner.

Is It Okay To Leave Air Purifiers Running Constantly?

Depending on how well they work, air purifiers can filter your interior air between 45 minutes to 3 hours.

But it is clear why some individuals would want to keep their air purifiers running constantly given the advantages that users stand to receive from breathing in cleaner and healthier air. This is particularly valid for people who have allergies, asthma, or respiratory problems.

Experts don’t see any issues with utilizing air purifiers constantly. This will enable you to maintain the best possible indoor air quality. The device will stop filtering the airborne impurities when you turn it off. The problem is that because air is continually moving, new contaminants are almost always introduced, especially when doors or windows are opened.

The toxins are collected right away when your air purifier is on, preventing them from floating around and severely affecting your health.

Some air purifiers additionally contain a monitoring system that detects when the air quality is at the target level and switches them automatically into standby mode. They won’t function once more till their sensors detect the presence of contaminants once more in the air.

This addresses issues with overheating and excessive use of the HEPA filters. When there are less air contaminants in the room, they won’t need to work as hard.

You may then breathe and sleep better within your home. Those who spend the most of their time at home would particularly benefit from this.

Should Windows Be Shut When Using An Air Purifier?

You let outside air into your home when the windows are open. Although this is beneficial for ventilation, keep in mind that it also introduces outside air contaminants like pollen, dust, and vehicle smoke. So, if you want to limit the amount of toxins in your interior air, it makes sense to close your windows and doors.

However, even if you keep your windows open, air purifiers would continue to function. Basically, it is their responsibility to capture airborne pollutants wherever they originate.

According to studies, even with the windows open, air purifiers can still reduce the amount of pollutants in the air by 60%.

Of course, they would have to put in more effort than if the windows were kept closed. Each time outside air enters the building, more pollutants are added. However, rest assured that no matter the situation, these gadgets will assist you in getting cleaner and healthier air.

Where Should I Install My Air Purifier?

To get the most out of your air purifier, you must place it in a strategic area. You must take into account both your breathing zone and the room’s airflow.

Biological Zone
Of course, you set the air purifier where you live or at the very least spend the most of your time. It need to be close to where you breathe. It is great if it is nearby. This implies that the cleansed air only needs to travel a short distance to reach you, allowing you to breathe in cleaner air.

Airflow
Inside the room, there are both vertical and horizontal air movements. To capture toxins from all directions, it is advised that you position your air purifier at least three feet above the ground. Keep in mind that there should be nothing in its path so that it can draw in as much air as possible and purify it.

To get the most out of the air purifier, place it close to you and above the ground.

How Toxic Are HEPA Filters?

Concerns have been voiced about the safety of employing HEPA filters. This is because, especially when they’re fresh, they lose fiberglass fibers.

In case you forgot, HEPA filters are constructed from tiny fiberglass strands. As you use them, these are finally released into the air. The likelihood of ingesting these fibers and the potential harm they could do to your respiratory system are raised in this context. Some people are concerned that long-term exposure might cause lung cancer.

According to studies, HEPA filters do lose their microfibers, which combine with other airborne contaminants. However, they are not regarded as bothersome dust. They resemble the typical airborne particles you encounter indoors. In other words, these tiny strands don’t pose a threat. Therefore, these HEPA filters are safe.

Conclusion

You are free to use your HEPA air purifiers for as long as you wish. To save electricity, you can leave it on continuously or only leave it on for 12 hours. It would depend on your desire to have pollutants removed from the air within your home so that you may breathe cleaner, fresher air.