Air purifiers that don’t generate ozone, or use an ionizer, can be left on all night. Running an air purifier continuously improves both the air quality and our quality of sleep, while also reducing the risk of asthma or respiratory breathing problems. High quality air purifiers are designed to operate continuously.
One in four households use an air purifier to help improve their air quality, but they can also improve the quality of our sleep if left to run through the night.
In this article, you’ll find out the benefits of running your air purifier continuously, especially at night (and the cons). You’ll also find information on how to sleep safely with an air purifier on.
Why you should leave your air purifier on all night
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) both recommend letting air purifiers run while you sleep at night for better breathing.
There are many factors that contribute to a healthy and comfortable night rest. Leaving your air purifier on all night can help prevent the following sleep-destructing conditions:
Dry eyes
This condition happens when our body doesn’t make enough ‘tears’ to moisturize our eyes. It can be caused by exposure to air pollution and allergens, and is linked with symptoms like a burning sensation, itching, watery eyes, and stringy mucus.
Sleep apnea
This is a severe sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts at intervals. It occurs in 3 different forms and has symptoms like loud snoring, early morning tiredness, dry mouth, gasping for air as you sleep, insomnia, and disorientation.
There is evidence that air pollution from chemical gasses can cause airway inflammation and increase the risk of sleep apnea. Allergic reactions from mold, dust and pollen can also cause sleep apnea.
Plentiful Air has detailed information on how air purifiers help with snoring available here.
Coughing
Coughing is a good way to clear the lungs of mucus and irritants. But near-continuous coughing at night can disrupt a good night’s rest and is often caused by mold growth and other allergens in the air.
Sleeping in a room with any level of pollution can stop you from having a good night’s sleep through these conditions.
You have a high chance of tossing and turning for hours and waking up with extreme fatigue and headache.
Pros of using your air purifier all the time
There are several pros and cons to using your purifier all the time, here are the pros (keep reading for the cons!):
1. Better performance
Indoor and outdoor air quality affects sleep quality and your performance the following day.
Your daily productivity and concentration level is dependent on how long and how well you slept.
The cleaner the air in your home throughout the night and the higher the ventilation rate, the better your sleep and next day performance will be.
2. Prevents diseases
When you run your air purifier for a few hours and turn it off, air pollutants from both indoor and outdoor activities re-accumulate in your home.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the more you breathe in these pollutants, the higher the risks of brain issues like dementia and respiratory issues like lung cancer.
But you can lower these pollutants almost permanently by running your purifier continuously.
3. Improves indoor air quality
Indoor air has a higher potential to be more polluted than outdoor air because of the chemicals we use around the home. Products like surface cleaner, pest sprays, paint, aerosols, washing agents, and air fresheners can release harmful pollutants.
In reality, we use most of these materials multiple times a day with little thought of the effect they have on the air quality in our homes.
Using your air purifier all day and all night is a guaranteed way to neutralize these pollutants as quickly as they’re produced.
Air purifiers with activated carbon filters can also filter volatile organic compounds and unpleasant odors, so you can breathe freely.
4. Reduces the chances of asthma attacks
Asthma is often triggered by common air pollutants like pet dander, tobacco smoke, dust, mites, and molds. These triggers can be present in the air at any time of the day.
It’s better to leave your air purifier on 24/7 so that pollutants are removed as quickly as possible.
Especially since the chances of suffering from asthma symptoms are much higher when you are sleeping.
5. Improves overall health
The air in your home directly impacts your physical and mental health (according to the Environmental Protection Agency).
Running your air purifier all day and all night means that the air in your space will be constantly free from all sorts of harmful contaminants including bacteria, mold, and chemicals.
Reducing the risk of any long-term health effects.
Cons of using your air purifier 24/7
1. Increased energy bill
The longer you run your air purifier, the more power it is likely to consume, and the more you’ll have to pay for electricity. Although, most air purifiers are designed to be conservative and energy-efficient, so you the increase in cost as much as you’d imagine.
Your electricity bills will also depend on the size of the purifier; the larger it is, the more you’re likely to spend. You can check your user manual for the energy consumption rate of your device.
But in general, a 50w air purifier run 24/7 will cost $3 to $4 per month.
2. More frequent filter replacement
Most air purifiers have a recommended filter replacement range between six and twelve months. This is usually accurate if you’re running your purifier for at most 12 hours per day.
When you make the decision to use your air purifier 24/7, you’ll very likely need to change your filter twice as often as recommended.
When you think about it, these so-called disadvantages are small prices to pay for clean air and a healthy life though!
If you have an ozone-generating air purifier or an ionizing air purifier do not leave it on all night, especially if you are in the room
When to switch off your air purifier
You should switch off your air purifier if:
- you notice any damages on the power cord. A damaged power cord could cause a fire hazard if it’s plugged in.
- you notice that your air purifier is making loud noises or releasing unpleasant odors. That is an indication that you need to replace your filter.
- you own an ozone-generating air purifier or an ionizing air purifier and you’re in the room. These purifiers should ideally only be operated when there’s no one in the room as they can cause or worsen chronic respiratory diseases.
- if your purifier starts to heat up (get hot) after prolonged use.
Is it safe to sleep with an air purifier on?
Sleeping with a non-ozone generating on is safe. In fact, your bedroom should be top priority when you’re considering the best locations for an air purifier.
Mold, dust and outdoor pollutants quickly accumulate and constantly circulate when the air purifier is turned off. Without an air purifier, these pollutants can aggravate allergies, asthma symptoms, and disrupt your sleep.
If you have allergies, asthma or other respiratory conditions, then sleeping with your air purifier on is ideal.
How long should you run an air purifier per day?
An air purifier should run for at least 12 hours per day, but it’s generally recommended that you leave your air purifier on continuously. The major benefit of doing this is that you only breathe in purified air (instead of contaminated air) which can positively impact your physical and mental health.
Your air purifier like most electrical devices has been manufactured with continuous use in mind.
However, the speed settings on which you leave your air purifier running is an important factor to consider when you’re leaving it in for a prolonged time.
A faster or higher fan speed setting is better for a heavily polluted room.
When you’re leaving it on to maintain air quality, a slower fan speed is recommended.
Air pollution is a problem that doesn’t go away after a few hours of air cleaning, or even completely. So, using an air purifier all day is ideal.
How do I set up my air purifier to run all day?
Most air purifiers have a few fan speeds. These fan speeds affect how fast the air quality in your home is improved.
To run your air purifier all day, there are two likely scenarios you’ll be starting with:
- the room is heavily polluted from smoking, spraying insecticides, or recent house painting, or
- the air quality in the room is seemingly normal.
For the first scenario, you can start by running your air purifier at high or medium fan speed for about two to four hours. This duration depends on the size of the room your purifier is cleaning as well as the level of pollution.
The rule of thumb is to use your nose.
If the room is heavily polluted, chances are you’ll smell an odor.
So, run your air purifier for as long as the odor hangs around. Once there’s a significant reduction in the pollution level (the odor is gone), you can adjust your air purifier to continuously run at the lowest fan speed for the rest of the day.
For the second scenario, your goal is only to ensure that you’re getting clean air or maintaining the good air quality in the room. All you need to do is run your air purifier on the lowest fan setting continuously.
Some air purifiers are smart enough to automatically adjust the speed settings based on air quality. In this case, you don’t have to monitor the pollution level or adjust the fan speed. Set it to automatic, and it’ll do the rest.
Plentiful Air has a detailed guide for the best air purifiers for a bedroom available here.
