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Guide to Best Air Purifiers for Wildfire Smoke


2020 Wildfires vs. 2021 Wildfires vs. 2022 Predictions And Beyond

In 2020, extreme dry spells have been creating a drastic rise in the potential for wildfires across western North America. With 87% of the West Coast experiencing drought conditions, and now scorching heat, there was above average activity in the 2021 wildfire season, and 2022 is predicting an even worse season. And there's not much relief in sight for the future of wildfires.

In 2020, the levels of wildfire smoke were higher than ever, spreading smoky air across many parts of the Midwest and even the South. To help provide relief from the air pollution, many people turned to air purifiers to clear the air.

 

More Drought, Heat, and Wildfires Expected

As more drought, heat, and wildfires are in the forecast for the future, it's never too soon to replace your air purifier's filters and ensure your devices are prepared for any emergency needs. That said, it's also important to prepare your home if you have not yet selected a trustworthy purifier that can clean your air of smoke particles.

According to NPR, health departments in numerous states are taking extra precautions to make sure their residents aren’t affected. Yet, officials are concerned preventative efforts could be ineffective.

“It’s really bad,” said Janice Nolan, assistant vice president for national policy at the American Lung Association, about last year's outlook. “I hadn’t seen ‘code maroon’ days, which is the most hazardous air quality, in years.”

Beyond the lack of immediate resolution, a bigger concern might be that the spreading wildfire problem doesn’t appear to be slowing down.

Extended drought and climate change mean more fires that burn longer year after year.

 

Health Issues from Wildfire Smoke

With the season getting longer every year and wildfires burn thousands of acres, it's important for people to take precautions in numerous ways.

For year round schools and camps, that means indoor activities and no outdoor sports practice when air quality levels are unhealthy, according to an advisory the public health department sent to Idaho schools.

Tiny particulates in smoke travel deep into the lungs, where they evade the body’s defense systems, Nolan says. That poses an especially big threat to people with asthma, cardiovascular disease or lung diseases.

Children are susceptible even if they’re healthy, she says, because their lungs are still developing.

 

How to Protect Yourself

Staying inside is the best defense, Nolan says, with air conditioning set to recirculate air.

Check the local air quality index before heading out. “If it’s anything above a code green, people will be affected.”

One way to do this is with MapMyAir, a new site and mobile app that shows the air quality down to street level. It also lets families track specific allergies that can worsen health issues for their loved ones, so they know in advance when it might be necessary to adjust their plans or have medicine at the ready.

 

What makes for an Effective Air Purifier?

For an air purifier to improve your indoor air quality it needs to have sufficient air flow for your space AND have filters that can clean everything in the air.

This is harder than it sounds because highly effective air filters tend to reduce air flow. So, if you then use a super-powerful fan you can end up with too much noise.

For a smoky room you will want 4 to 5 air changes per hour. What this means is that for a given room you want all of the air to be circulated through the air cleaner 4 to 5 times per hour.

Here is a handy chart that we put together to show you how our products compare.

 

Square Feet Coverage Based on Clean Air Delivery Rate

How to choose the right room size square feet coverage

What to Look for in Air Filters to Clean Rooms of Smoke

So, once you have enough air flow you will want to make sure the air filters are able to remove the smoke. This is not easy to do because smoke is made of of tiny particulate matter as well as smoke particles and gases.

Airborne particulates are solids that float in the air. Think of them like tiny dust particles. The best way to remove them is with a high efficiency air filter and a strong motor in an air purifier. Our award-winning mod and mod jr. are excellent at capturing smoke particles in the air with their combination filters. 

So, now that you have a great filter to catch the fine particles you need something more because the smoke gases and chemicals are so small. It's possible they could get captured temporarily however they will be re-released so your room will constantly smell smokey.

To get rid of smoke smell you are going to want a high quality activated carbon filter. The key to carbon filter effectiveness is the quality of the carbon and the amount of surface area.

We use coconut shell carbon which is the best available. In addition, rather than just have a lot of activated carbon by weight we focus on having the most surface area to give you the smoke smell removal ability you need without sacrificing the air flow of the air cleaner.

Even if you have poor air quality in your area from wildfire smoke, placing an air purifier in your home or office will provide an indoor clean air sanctuary, giving your lungs the clean air they deserve.

 

*The Erik and EJ air purifiers are retired. Oransi still offers replacement filters for all retired purifiers.