If you have an air purifier, you likely use it one of two ways: You have it set to turn on automatically, or you manually switch it on whenever your allergies are acting up, you’re sick or pollution is high due to wildfires or smog. However, if you’re not performing one additional step before turning on your air purifier, you’re not using it correctly.
To ensure this device can do its job, ask yourself: When was the last time I replaced my air purifier filter? If you can’t remember, it’s probably time to check the filter’s condition.
“If the filter is not replaced regularly, the collected pollutants can build up and clog the filter,” says Dr. Karyi Coyle, a pulmonologist and assistant professor of medicine at New York Medical College. “This leaves more pollutants in the air, and the dirty filter can release contaminants back into your home, making the air more polluted than if you didn't use an air purifier at all.” Yikes.
To help understand when, why and how often you should change your air purifier’s filter, I consulted health experts for more information.
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The health consequences of not changing your air purifier filter
An air purifier filter’s purpose is to trap pollutants, preventing them from circulating in the air and entering your body. As Coyle mentioned, these pollutants accumulate over time and can clog your filter, reducing airflow and filtration efficiency. Not only will this leave more pollutants in the air, but the filter can even release the particles it previously collected back into the air, further decreasing your air quality.
“This could have respiratory, cardiovascular or allergy health effects,” says Dr. Lyndsey Darrow, epidemiologist and professor of public health at the University of Nevada, Reno.
A dirty air purifier filter is also more susceptible to mold growth, says Coyle, and the air purifier can then circulate those mold spores into your home. “This can cause significant illnesses such as worsening allergies, asthma symptoms and other respiratory problems,” she explains. “A dirty filter can create an indoor air quality that is worse than it would be with no purifier at all.”
In other words, by not changing your air purifier’s filter, you’re creating the opposite effect. All the allergens, viruses, bacteria, pollen and mold spores you want your air purifier to catch can be pushed back into your air, where you can breathe them in and become sick.
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