Should I use the ionizer on my air purifier?

Air purifiers significantly improve air quality. If you use air purifiers, you may have come across a feature known as an ionizer. But what exactly is an ionizer? Are ionic air purifiers safe to use? And should you invest in a product that has one? Keep reading “Should I use the ionizer on my air purifier?” for more information!

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What is ionizer?

Before deciding whether or not you should add an air purifier with an ionizer to your house, it’s helpful to understand what ions and ionizers are and how the ionizer feature of an air purifier works.

Positive ions

Positive ions are everywhere in our daily lives. They are what you smell before a storm or why your basement appears stuffy. Monitor displays and automobile fumes also emit them. Positive ions are significantly more common in our surroundings than negative ions, which is problematic because positive ions cause fatigue, raise blood pressure, aggravate negative moods, and (despite their name) have a bad impact on overall health.

Negative ions

Negative ions, on the other hand, help revitalize us. Negative ions contribute to the impression of freshness you receive near bodies of water, in the mountains, or after heavy rains. Taking a shower, in fact, is an excellent way to feel a surge of negative ions.

Negative ions help to encourage relaxation, reduce irritation, and improve sleep by removing airborne allergens such as pollen and viruses. Although not definitive, preliminary research suggests that negative ions may help ease depression symptoms. When you claim you need “fresh air,” you may actually be stating you need more negative ions.

Ionizers

Ionizers use electricity to generate negative ions and electrically charge air molecules before releasing them into your environment. These ions are drawn to positively charged ions (which carry items like dust and bacteria).

Ionic air purifier

An air purifier eliminates harmful particles from the air. An air purifier is effective at removing dust and pollen. It’s often recommended for people who have asthma or allergies. With the addition of the ionizer feature, this device purifies the air while releasing negative ions, thereby increasing the quality of your indoor air.

Now that you have a basic understanding of the ionizer feature of air purifiers and what it does, let’s dive into the pros and cons of this feature and answer the key question, “Should I turn on the ionizer function on my air purifier?”

List of the best air purifiers

Should or shouldn’t I turn on the ionizer on my air purifier?

In short, it is not clear whether you should or should not turn on the ionizer on your air purifier. Let’s find out.

Cons of using ionizer feature on air purifiers

Let’s start with those who shouldn’t purchase an air purifier with an ionizer feature.

While the ionizer feature is extremely strong and competent equipment, it cannot clean everything in your house.

• You have a lot of pet dander and/or dust in your home: Pet dander and dust are frequently present in high numbers. Electrical charges from ionizers will trap them on your furniture’s surface, and it might be difficult to remove all of them over time.
• You’re Concerned About Ozone Emissions: Some ionizers emit traces of ozone while they are operating. This might not only contribute to indoor air pollution but also irritate your lungs and throat, which is especially bad when you have asthma. Check the manufacturer’s requirements before purchasing an ionizer. This information will tell you whether or not you need to be concerned about ozone output. Not all ionizers release ozone, and those that do only emit trace amounts that are safe for your health. The objective is to create an ionizer that emits no more than 0.05 ppm of ozone. Simply search for that standard.

Pros of using ionizer feature on air purifiers

Ionizers are not suitable for everyone. However, there are some very compelling reasons why you should acquire an air purifier with an ionizer feature. As mentioned above, negative ions produce a number of amazing benefits in our natural environment, which include the following:

• Improve overall air quality: The ionizer on an air purifier should be utilized since it clumps together ultrafine pollutants that a HEPA filter would ordinarily miss. Ionization enlarges the microscopic dust particles, allowing them to be caught inside the HEPA filter. That is not to say that you should solely utilize the ionizer and discard the HEPA. These two technologies complement each other quite effectively. Because ionizers employ polarization to clump particles together, they actually allow a HEPA filter to catch ultrafine particles. Ions can not only make airborne particles too heavy to float, but they can also render bacteria inactive.
• Reduce the chance of exposure to airborne respiratory bacteria: Since an ionizer releases ions that render bacteria inactive, it limits the chance you’ll catch bacteria that can badly damage your health. These include colds, flu, and asthmatic triggers.
• Get rid of smoky odors: Basic air purifiers are proven to effectively remove odors. With the ionizer feature on, contaminants’ structures alter when they pass through the ionizer’s electrical fields. This means that ionizers can eliminate lingering smokey odors in your home. Turning on the ionizer on your air purifier is an excellent technique to get rid of the aromas generated by a cooking mishap or if you have a tobacco smoker in your house.
• Improve your mood and sleep quality: According to 2012 Italian research that examined the evidence foundation for the advantages of negative ions in enhancing mood and treating mood disorders, negative ions improve sleep and general mood.
• Relieve from seasonal or chronic depression: A Columbia University study found that negative ions might have the same impact as conventional antidepressants.

Summary

The ionizer feature on air purifiers releases negative ions into your environment, which attract and trap positively charged ions carrying allergies and bacteria. They contribute to better indoor air quality as well as overall health quality. An ionizer might be a terrific addition to your house, depending on your preferences and needs.

If you arrived here asking, “Should I turn on the ionizer on my air purifier?” we hope this article helped you decide whether this is the best form of air purifier for you. You should also consult your doctor if you want to increase the quality of your indoor air due to a medical problem.