124 guides in total.
124 guides· Page 5 of 7
Most air purifier mistakes come from the box: a coverage number that assumes one air change an hour, a filter name that means little, and running costs nobody mentions. Here is the checklist we use.
Cleaning a purifier is mostly about the pre-filter and the sensor, and about not washing the parts that cannot be washed. Here is the routine, with the intervals makers give.
Mold grows in two places: inside a neglected humidifier and on damp surfaces in an over-humidified room. EPA's routine and a 50% ceiling prevent both.
No single gadget measures everything. Here is the order to do it in: a radon test, CO alarms, a monitor for the everyday readings, a moisture check, and a professional when the problem calls for one.
Radon testing is cheap and simple, and the EPA recommends it for every home. Here is how to do it properly, read the result, and decide whether you need mitigation.
A vaporizer is a steam humidifier: it boils water. That avoids white dust but adds a burn risk, which is why pediatric guidance favors cool mist for children.
Many houseplants prefer 40 to 50% humidity, and winter homes can fall to 10 to 20%. A room humidifier works; misting does not. Here is how to help plants without harming the house.
Every 60 to 90 days is the usual guidance for 1-inch filters, and Filtrete says at least every 90. Pets, allergies, renovation and smoke shorten it; deep media cabinets lengthen it.
EPA's AQI is built for outdoor air and 24-hour averages. The AQI or score on a home monitor is a maker's translation of a live reading. Here is how to read both.
Ionizers charge particles so they stick to surfaces or clump. They can also make ozone and other byproducts, and the evidence for some newer ion technologies is thin. Here is what is known.
The AirVisual Pro's strength is context: it shows your indoor PM2.5 and CO2 next to outdoor air from IQAir's network. Independent field results were more modest than cheaper rivals, and it is pricey.
IQAir's HealthPro Plus is the purifier hospitals and the cautious buy: heavy, well sealed, with a gas filter and a HEPA stage that lasts four years. IQAir also refuses to publish a CADR, which makes it hard to compare.
For most forced-air homes, yes: MERV 13 is EPA's suggested minimum and catches at least half of smoke-size particles. The two caveats are your system's airflow and how often the fan runs.
The Classic 200 is a simple, quiet ultrasonic humidifier with a big tank for its size. Levoit still lists it on its own site, but it was not on Amazon US when we checked.
The Core 300-P is the small HEPA purifier most people start with. Its certified numbers fit a bedroom, not the 1,073 sq ft on the box, and its filters are cheap.
The Core 400S-P is the Core 300's bigger, smarter sibling: a laser particle sensor, auto mode and an app, with enough certified airflow for a living room up to about 360 sq ft.
The Vital 200S-P is Levoit's pet-household purifier: the most certified airflow in Levoit's mid-range, a side inlet that keeps fur off the filter, and a rectangular body that fits against a wall.
The MA-40 is AHAM listed with real airflow for its price and a lifetime warranty. Its weak points are a short filter interval, which makes running costs climb, and louder low settings than the best rivals.
