Filter Maintenance

Average Filter Life and Maintenance Timetable

This simple timetable will give you an idea of the type of maintenance that you can expect and that will be required for your air purifier to continue functioning as designed. Keeping up to date on filter maintenance will allow your air purifier to perform at its maximum effectiveness and efficiency. 

Reminder:  These are only "estimates" and "averages" throughout the industry. Filter and other air purifier accessory lifespans will differ from model to model and manufacturer to manufacturer. For specific filter and other air purifier accessory maintenance intervals for the model you purchased, please refer to your Owner's Manual or to the Manufacturer's website.

Filter lifespans can be effected by the amount and type of air contaminants the unit is filtering at any given time and how it is being used.

If your air purifier is going to be used to filter heavy amounts of air contaminants on a regular everyday basis, filter changes may need to be done in shorter intervals. The same could be said if the air purifier is run 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. If the unit is constantly filtering, you will more than likely cut your filter life in half. In this instance, a HEPA air purifier with a filter life of 5 years will be cut down to 2 to 3 years when running it all the time. Most air purifiers are built to be run 24/7, but realize that if you do, filter life is usually based off an air purifier being used when needed or about 10 to 12 hours a day max. Try not to run your air purifier 24/7, unless necessary.

The opposite can be said if the air purifier is not being heavily used on a daily basis, such as only a few times a month or week. Filter life may be extended in most instances, but in this case, you should not extend it too far beyond the manufacturer's recommended lifespan for the filters and other accessories that will need to be maintained on your unit.


Key Tip:  If your air purifier comes with a prefilter, here are some easy steps to prolong your HEPA filter life and the continued effectiveness of your air purifier after initial purchase and use:

After about a month of initial use, open the air purifier and check the prefilter. This will determine how often you should clean the prefilter. If it is really dirty only after a month of use, you will need to clean your prefilter more often. At least once a month and then replace yearly. If it is moderately dirty, clean once a quarter and replace every other year. 

When cleaning the prefilter, try to leave it intact and use a damp cloth or vacuum attachment to clean the debris from off the prefilter. Try not to submerge the prefilter in water to wash and clean it unless it is a washable prefilter.

Some of the units that we sell have filter change indicator lights which let you know when to change your filters. These are nice options, but not always necessary. If you have a model that does not have filter change indicator lights, try to clean and replace your filters on a regular basis based on manufacturer recommendations. This information can usually be found in your Owner's Manual.