An air purifier pulls room air through filters to remove fine particles: dust, pollen, pet dander, smoke particles and many mould spores. Households with allergies, pets, winter wood fires or traffic dust often buy one. It cleans the air, but it does not lower humidity and does not stop mould growing on a damp wall, so a damp room still needs a dehumidifier. Tell us about the room, and we pass your request to independent suppliers who quote you directly.
HEPA, carbon and what each catches
A HEPA filter catches fine particles, including dust, pollen, pet dander, smoke particles and many mould spores. An activated carbon filter reduces odours and some gases, such as cooking smells and smoke. Most good units use both, with a coarse pre-filter in front that you wash or vacuum. Avoid units that make ozone on purpose. Ask the supplier which filters the unit uses and what they cost to replace.
Sizing: CADR and room area
The clean air delivery rate (CADR) tells you how quickly a unit cleans a room. A higher CADR suits a bigger room, and makers usually quote the room area it suits. For a bedroom of 12 to 16 square metres, many people choose a unit that can clean the air several times an hour. Compare CADR figures at the same test conditions, and remember that low speeds, which you will use at night, clean more slowly than the top speed. If you are buying for a large open-plan lounge and kitchen, one big unit usually does better than two small ones, but place it where air flows freely. Ask the supplier how the maker tested the CADR, because figures from different makers are not always comparable, and ask whether the unit has a sensor that adjusts the fan to the dust it detects.
Noise, filters and running cost
A purifier runs for hours, so noise matters. Ask for the decibel level at the lowest and highest settings, and for a night mode. Filters are the main running cost: ask how often they are replaced and the price of a set. Many units have a filter-change light. Power draw is usually modest, but multiply watts by hours and by your tariff to check. Place the unit with space around it, not in a corner or behind a curtain.
Purifier or dehumidifier?
They solve different problems. Condensation, black spots and a musty smell mean too much moisture, and a purifier will not fix it. Hay fever, smoke and dust are airborne particles, which a purifier handles. If you have both problems in one room, see air purifier dehumidifiers, or run two separate machines. A humidity meter tells you which problem you have. If symptoms such as wheezing are a concern, see a doctor.
What to put in your request
- Room length, width and ceiling height in metres
- What bothers you: dust, pollen, pets, smoke or odours
- Whether it will run in a bedroom at night
- Whether you want HEPA only or HEPA with carbon
- Delivery address or whether you will collect
Air Purifiers for homes, rentals, businesses and industry
- Homeowners and tenants: a unit in a bedroom or lounge for dust, pollen, pet dander and winter smoke
- Landlords, agents and body corporates: a unit in a flat near a busy road or where tenants have allergies
- Offices, schools and clinics: units in open-plan offices, waiting rooms and clinics for dust and odours
- Warehouses, archives and storage: units in a dust-prone office or sorting area of a warehouse
- Factories and food plants: units in packing and quality rooms where airborne dust is a concern
- Growers, nurseries and farms: units for dust and spores in a drying or processing room
- Hotels, gyms, spas and pools: units in guest rooms, lounges and spas, including smoke odours
- Insurers, assessors and restoration firms: units after a fire or after mould removal, to catch airborne particles
- Builders, HVAC engineers and contractors: units to catch dust during renovation and in newly finished rooms
Frequently asked questions
Will an air purifier help with allergies?
Does an air purifier remove mould?
How often do filters need replacing?
Do you sell air purifiers yourselves?
Air Purifiers by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg