Nothing can be as desperate as your air purifier not turning on when you need it to.
If you live in a place with high pollution such as Long Beach, Bakersfield, Chula Vista, Fresno, Visalia, and Roseville all of them in California, investing in an air purifier is worth it because these are some of the top areas with high ozone content in the air.
Other places with high ozone concentration include Mesa in Arizona, Aurora in Colorado, The Woodlands in Texas and Salt Lake City in Utah, to name but just a few of them.
Buying an air purifier is one thing and having it operating correctly all the time is another one. Like humidifiers and dehumidifiers, air purifiers too have their fair share of troubles.
Failing to turn on is just one of them, as we saw on the post on Honeywell air purifier keeps shutting down.
So what could be the cause of an air purifier that fails to turn on? Keep reading as we show you how to troubleshoot it.
Air Purifier Not Turning On: Troubleshooting
Check the user manual for your air purifier. You can find this on Manualslib.com. If you don’t find it there, do contact the manufacturer or search for one on their website.
Manualslib is a fantastic resource for all air purifier, dehumidifier and humidifier instructions.
But even without getting a user manual, here are the most common ways to troubleshoot your unit if it is not working correctly:
1. Simplest checks first (cord, fuse, socket)
The power cord is broken – Smelling the power cord can tell you whether it is blown, if you smell burned plastic.
Most power cords come with a fuse, which blows off easily. Check whether yours is blown. A fuse replacement should cost you little and it is readily available in the local stores.
Socket is not working – Plug the unit into another power outlet. This will let you know whether the socket is bad.
Also check whether the power outlet has the rating recommended for your air purifier. If it does not, find one that fits.
2. Air purifier shuts off when filters are clogged
Clogged filters will affect how your air purifier works. If you live in an area with high pollution, the filters will be clogged easily.
Check the filters. If they are clogged, clean them or replace them. An air purifier draws the polluted air through its filters. The filter traps the pollutants, while the clean air flows out back into the room.
As a safety measure, the air purifier might shut down to prevent damage to its parts. When you change the filters, it starts working again.
Check the manufacturer’s instructions on when to change the filters. If you live in highly polluted environments, you might have to change the filters once a week.
3. The air purifier is overheating
If a Levoit air purifier overheats, it can switch off and fail to turn on until it has cooled down.
Perhaps you are overworking the unit causing it to overheat. In that case, check whether it is big enough for your space.
Once it gets too hot, it might go into safe mode, which is shutting off in this case, to protect its delicate components from damage.
If it is too small and there are many pollutants like dust to clear from the air, it could be causing the overheating. If the filters become clogged, the unit will overheat.
4. Blocked fan
Air purifiers use suction fans to draw polluted air inside, over the filters. If the fan fails for some reason, the unit will not work properly.
Check whether you forgot to remove the plastic wrap on the filters.
If the fan is working, you should hear its noise. You should also feel air moving out through the vents if you place your hand against them.
5. It is just old or broken down
If your portable air purifier has served you for about 5 years, it is time to think of a replacement. These units can act all jittery after they serve for a long time.
If you had paid less than $100 for the unit, there is no need to repair it, unless it is still under warranty. Get a new one, especially if the repairs needed in the old one require you to take it to a technician.
For the smaller, battery operated air purifiers, just replace it without thinking. It is just not worth the trouble of repairing it.
6. Factory defects
Some appliances come with manufacturing defects from the factory. If the unit fails to work when it is new, contact the manufacturer.
Usually, you could get a replacement of a similar model from the manufacturer. They can also direct you to a local technician for repair.
If an air purifier has factory defects, it is not going to do its job properly. It can run and not remove pollutants.
Air purifier not turning on FAQ
You need to be aware of all the problems your air purifier might experience. Here are some of the commonly asked questions and their answers:
How many years do air purifiers last?
If you clean the air purifier as often as recommended, clean or replace the filters as often as recommended, your Honeywell air purifier can last up to 5 years.
Some last less than that and some longer. If you have gotten a good three years of use from the unit, consider getting a replacement soon.
Is it OK not to turn off the air purifier?
If you have heavily polluted air in your area, it is absolutely okay to leave the air purifier running through the night.
The unit changes the air over, until all the air in the room has gone through the filters. Keep the windows closed so that more polluted air from outside does not find its way in.
Do air purifiers need to be cleaned?
A dirty air purifier does not work properly. Clogged filters can stop it from turning on. Clean the filters to remove mold, bacteria, pollen, dust, and other pollutants, which might find their way into your air if ignored.
Clean the exterior and interior as well. You can follow the cleaning instructions in the user manual.
Where is the best place to put air purifier?
In the post on whether to place a dehumidifier on the floor or high up, we said it should be a couple of feet from the floor for better airflow.
The same applies to air purifiers. Place it a few feet from the ground, and at a place with the most airflow. You could also place it between airways so that it purifies air for the whole house.
Final thoughts
To get the best out of your air purifier, keep it clean, clean the filters or change them as recommended by the manufacturer.
If the air purifier is not too old, it should turn on when you need it to, as long as the filters are clean and not overdue on their replacement date.
Also, remember to check to ensure you have not left the plastic wrapping of the filter on because that too can prevent the unit from starting.
Overall, air purifiers are easy to maintain and are perfect workhorses for removing pollutants from your indoor air.
