Levoit air purifiers use a multi-level filtration system to remove 99% of air contaminants including odors. The third filtration stage which contains a high efficiency activated carbon filter is the part of the purifier that removes bad smells.
Odors in and around the home are one of the main reasons we invest in an air purifier. Bad smells can come from anywhere but your pets (dogs, cats, aquariums, etc), household cleaning products, drains and the soil in potted plants are the most common sources.
In this guide, we explain how Levoit air purifiers remove odors from your home and also provide a list of replacement filters with customised odor removal abilities.
How Levoit Air Purifiers Remove Odors
Levoit air purifiers have three levels of filtration.
Stage 1
The first stage is the pre-filter that removes relatively larger particles like dust, fibers, and pet fur.
Larger contaminants are not usually responsible for bad smells, so the pre-filter doesn’t really contribute to removing odors. The exception to this is that it does remove pet fur, so a small amount of the overall odor in a home can be removed during this early stage.
Stage 2
The second stage is the True ‘high efficiency particulate absorbing’ (HEPA) filter which removes air contaminants as small as 0.3 microns, including pollen and mold spores.
Any contaminant smaller than this like gases and some volatile organic compounds (VOCs) cannot be captured by these two stages.
Gases are often the cause of bad smells in our home so this filter only has a minor impact on odor-removal.
Stage 3
The third filtration stage in all Levoit air purifiers is the high efficiency activated carbon filter which physically adsorbs odors, fumes, and smokes. It also removes chemicals like benzene, hydrogen sulfide, and VOCs.
Activated carbon, also called activated charcoal, is the granular or powdered material produced when charcoal is roasted at 800 to 1000°C to “activate” it. The purpose of the activation process is to increase the porosity of the carbon, this means it has more small holes in it to catch more contaminants.
The more porous the activated carbon, the better.
High porosity will increase the amount of space available for contaminants (odors) to stick onto as air passes through the filter.
This process means that over time the pollutants will fill up all the spaces on the activated carbon and cause saturation. Once the carbon is saturated, it’s difficult for the filter to continue trapping pollutants.
When you notice that your air purifier is giving off unpleasant odors (rather than removing them), this is a strong indicator that you need to change your filter.
In summary, here’s how air purification with an activated carbon filter in a Levoit air purifier works:
- Contaminated air enters into the filtration system.
- The air passes through the pre-filter, the True HEPA filter and the activated carbon air filter.
- The process of adsorption takes place on the activated carbon bed to remove the odor.
- Purified air flows out of the activated carbon filter and back into the room
If you want to use a Levoit air purifier to remove odors around your home or workplace then it’s important to replace the filters regularly – Plentiful Air has everything you need to know about Levoit filters (including how to change or clean them and how often) available here.
Levoit Air Purifier Replacement Filters That Remove Odors
All Levoit air purifiers have original filters that come with the entire package.
However, after a few months when it’s time to replace the filter in your Levoit air purifier, you may want to purchase a replacement that is better suited for your specific type of pollution, or the room where your purifier is placed.
1. Core 300-RF: Levoit True HEPA 3-Stage Original Filter
This filter can trap pollutants like pollen, dust particles, allergies, and bacteria. It is also well suited for a room with minor odors.
2. Core 300-RF-PA: Levoit True HEPA 3-Stage Pet Allergy Filter
This filter is best suited and very efficient for strong and bad smelling rooms. It is a customized filter that neutralizes pet odors and cooking smells.
3. Core 300-RF-TX: Levoit True HEPA 3-Stage Toxin Absorber Filter
This is an even stronger filter that is effective in neutralizing strong smells and also customized for cigarette smoke, toxic gases, smog, and fumes, and very high air pollution.
The pet allergy and toxin absorber filters use Levoit’s exclusive ARC formula that is powerful enough to remove pollution from vehicle exhaust and wildfire smoke.
In this filter, the odors are adsorbed, pollutants are broken down into harmless molecules, and the molecules are locked in the activated carbon.
The Best Levoit Air Purifier to Remove Odors
The Levoit Core P350 Pet Care True HEPA Air Purifier is the most powerful Levoit air purifier in terms of odor removal.
It’s specifically designed to remove pet fur and dander as well, so it’s sure to remove any and all bad smells in your home.
And if you don’t have a pet, don’t worry, it just means the purifier is able to remove more smells than other purifiers.
Why You Should Remove Odors From Your Home
Smoke, dust particles, and asbestos are not the only possible harmful air contaminants in your home.
According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, unpleasant odors can pose risks to human health, depending on the level of contamination and some other environmental factors.
The good thing about odors is that you can actually smell the offensive odor before they reach a harmful level, so you can act quickly to get rid of them.
The intensity of any symptoms will depend on the concentration of the odor, the source of the odor, and how long you are exposed to it.
In reality, not all odors are toxic. But it’s never a good idea to sit around breathing in a bad smell before you do something about it.
Plentiful Air has more information on why your house might smell like a sewer available here.
