Proper air purifier maintenance ensures that the investment you have made in your family’s health is well protected. Regular maintenance will keep your unit running at optimal performance levels and will extend its overall lifespan.

Additionally, proper and timely maintenance causes your air purifier to run efficiently which will keep energy costs down. And as if that isn’t reason enough, did you know that cleaning and maintenance will lower your unit’s noise level because air will not have to pass through restrictions? The best part is that air purifier maintenance is relatively simple.

Different types of units have varying maintenance needs, so it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with your particular unit’s requirements by reading the User Manual. Mark maintenance schedules on your calendar, so that you don’t forget to perform routine maintenance tasks.

The following tips are an air purifier maintenance guide that will keep your unit in tip-top shape, year after year:

	Keep the area around the air purifier clean. Dust bunnies and other dirt mean unnecessary work for the air purifier. After all, you can easily pick up dust bunnies. This allows the air purifier to work on unseen allergens that you can’t “catch.”
	Inspect exterior grills and panels for dust buildup. After making sure that the unit is unplugged, vacuum these areas, or clean them with a dust cloth. Also, make sure to follow the manufacturer’s specific cleaning instructions.
	Monitor your filters. Clogged filters will keep your unit from effectively purifying the air, and will cause your unit to overwork itself, thereby shortening its lifespan. For units that have filter change indicator lights, always change filters when indicator lights say to change them. Or, follow your air purifier filter maintenance schedule. Remember that even if there is no visible buildup, stick to your filter maintenance schedule; there may be buildup that you can’t see with the naked eye.
	Clean washable pre-filters regularly. This extends the life of inner filters and saves you money. Make sure the filter is completely dry before putting it back in the unit.
	Give your air purifier room to “breathe.” In order to function properly, make sure your air purifier has enough space all around for proper air intake and release.
	Think about where you place your air purifier. Ideally, it’s best to place your unit in a sealed room with closed doors and windows. This keeps contaminated air from entering the room. Consider what would happen if you try to run a unit during peak pollen season with the windows open. It wouldn’t take long for the unit’s filters to become clogged with pollen, and as soon as this happened, the unit would cease to purify the air. In addition, in a sealed off room, clean air won’t be “wasted” by escaping into other parts of the house or out the windows. To put it succinctly, the air exchange rate is highest when an air purifier is placed in a sealed-off room.

With regular maintenance, your air purifier will reward you with years of pure air. Maintenance will also ensure that your unit runs at peak performance with minimal energy consumption. Whether you are preparing to buy a new air purifier or you’ve had one for a while, now is the best time to get on track with maintenance tasks that will help keep you and your family breathing better.