Are Outlet Air Purifiers Worth It?

Sometimes called plug-in air purifiers, outlet air purifiers are small air cleaning devices that plug directly into an outlet and hang on the wall by being connected to the outlet.

Most of the outlet air purifiers on the market are actually air ionizers.

An air purifier is usually what you call a machine that uses filtration as a means of cleaning the air.

If you look at the top Air purifiers on Amazon, you’ll see that they all use a HEPA filter and a carbon filter.

Outlet air purifiers are not big enough to have a large enough filter to make a difference in the air quality.

There are some outlet air purifiers using ultraviolet light with a catalyst.

And even one brand that is strictly a miniature ozone machine.

But the majority of outlet air purifiers are negative ion generators, for ionizers for short.

Ionizers work by emitting negative ions into the airstream.

Through polarity, the emitted ions attach themselves to the particles already in the air.

Which makes them too heavy to float so they fall to the surface. Leaving your ambient air clean to breathe.

Are outlet air purifiers worth it?

Outlet air purifiers may be worth it in certain situations. I can envision a scenario where they help keep the air quality good in a cubicle or small office.( Although you want to keep a microfiber cloth handy to keep your computer screen wiped off. More on that later.)

But for things like kitchen odors or cat litter odors, I would say don’t waste your money.

One thing they don’t tell you about ionizers is that they tend to get very dusty.

The ions that are supposed to float and clean the air throughout the room tend not get very far and end up as dust all over the device itself.

The ions are also infamous for collecting on TV and computer screens because of the magnetic pull.

If you have your heart set on buying one, then I would definitely pick the one that uses a ultraviolet light with a catalyst.

This is a technology that is used in large air sanitizers that has the ability to oxidize germs and viruses leaving them inactive.

There are some very effective air purifiers that use this technology like Air Oasis and Guardian Tech.

I believe that you could get a better result with one of these and you than just a simple ionizer.

But the bottom line is these are very small air purifiers, that will only work in a very small space.

If you keep that in mind and don’t get your hopes up too much, you’ll probably like the results.

But since most of the literature on these small outlet air purifiers tend to boast their ability to work in larger square foot areas,

You might be disappointed.

Are outlet air purifiers worth it?

Personally I would rather have a smaller purifier that I can move around and actually have a HEPA filter and carbon filter.

The ionizer is a good extra feature if it has it, but it’s the first thing I would go without.

Is “White Noise” a Reason to Buy a Humidifier?

There is something about the noise that a humidifier makes while it’s misting the air that has an almost instantaneous sleep effect to it.

It’s very calming and hypnotizing at the same time. Combined with the relief of being able to breathe because of the moisture it emits into the air, humidifiers are kind of an elixir for helping you rest.

Interesting enough, you can browse YouTube and find a number of videos that provide the sounds of a humidifier that you can play while you are sleeping.

But not all humidifiers produce that white noise effect. And even though there are many people who enjoy the calming sound of a humidifier, there are just as many people who do not want to be able to hear their humidifier working at all.

And I can’t blame you, whatever side of the fence you’re on, because I can see the point of both.

Types of Humidifiers that produce White Noise

1.Evaporative cool mist humidifiers create a white noise effect that can be comforting to sleep with.

2.Impeller humidifiers have a spinning disc that makes a humming noise that can be

But if you’re looking for a quiet humidifier, ultrasonic humidifiers do not have a fan or a disc which makes them the quietest type of humidifier. relaxing too.

Should you buy a humidifier based on the White noise it makes?

Probably not.

Humidifiers can be pretty sophisticated devices these days. And come with all kinds of bells and whistles.

But one of the benefits to these humidifiers is that they are quiet.

And quiet seems to be a feature that most people are looking for when they are looking to purchase a humidifier.

Take the Levoit lv600s

This humidifier fully hooks up to your Wi-Fi and can be controlled by your phone or an Alexa or Google Assistant.

You can simply tell your humidifier what percentage of humidity you want, and it does the rest.

It is easily filled from the top, which is a huge improvement over other kinds of humidifiers that require you to take the tank off and turn it upside down to fill it.

It runs up to 50 hours without having to be refilled and can humidify a 500 square foot room up to four times faster than any other humidifier.

It features a built-in hygrometer and hydrostat so that you can set the humidity level to what you want and then leave the humidifier to reach and maintain that level.

And it can be used as either a cool mist humidifier or a warm mist humidifier.

And don’t forget, it is a fully functioning essential oil diffuser at the same time.

But if you’re looking for a white noise humidifier. This one is not it. This one is very quiet as a benefit.

Noisy humidifiers tend to be less sophisticated and rely on technologies that aren’t as good at humidifying the air.

Which is the primary point of having a humidifier.

But if the humidifier noise is something that you are very much interested in,

Air Care in a Whole House humidifier

This is a large humidifier that doesn’t have most of the bells and whistles that say the Levoit does but it does come with a hygrometer / humidistat automatic shut off to maintain the correct humidity.

You can also cover up to 2600 square feet which is pretty amazing.

It also comes with casters, which can give you an ideal of how heavy this thing can be with water in it.

And being a larger unit, it definitely has the humidifier sound that people either find relaxing or despise

Other White Noise options.

And like I mentioned before, there are plenty of videos that play the sounds of a noisy humidifier to sleep by.

And if you don’t want to use your phone or tablet to play a video while you’re sleeping,

you can always take another route and purchase a white noise machine dedicated to giving you a dozen or so soothing White noise sounds and a night light to boot.

White noise machines come in an array of different styles. Some are made to look like an office device that blends in with the other office supplies, while other white noise machines are cute and come in shapes that look like anything from turtles to owls for the baby’s room and bed.

Rose White Noise machine

This is a nice noise maker that would look good in the kids room, for the living room.

It illuminates in seven seven different colors and it has 16 soothing sounds that range from ocean waves, the chirping of insects and birds, water flowing in the valley, and rain.

It also has four lullabies for the young ones.

In addition it features an automatic shut off timer. See Here

Another noise machine that has some interesting sounds including the usual rain and thunderstorm, campfire and ocean sounds.
But also has some very unique sounds including vacuum cleaner, fetal tone, gentle surf and shushing.

This white noise machine is called the “Dream Egg“.

recap

The white noise that you can get from a humidifier is one of the most relaxing sounds especially when you factor in the relief that you are getting from the additional moisture that is providing.

If you were specifically looking for a humidifier to get you that “white noise”, then you should look more at evaporative humidifiers and impeller humidifiers.

Both of these types of humidifiers use fans and discs that create that humidifier hum and gurgling sound.

But even though the noise from a humidifier may be something that many people enjoy, it is also something that many people do not enjoy in the least.

Most of the humidifiers you find these days are exceptionally quiet. Because quiet is what sells.

But the features that you can get in a humidifier these days are amazing. And make the drug store humidifiers of the past seem like pretty small potatoes.

And the truth is if you’re searching for the white noise that you are used to hearing from running a humidifier,

You can find videos of humidifiers running on YouTube.

And if that’s not an option for you, White noise machines are inexpensive and can give you a couple of dozen different options right at the push of a button.

My Top 11 Ultimate “Plant Humidifier” Must Haves

1.Easy to fill

A humidifier must be easy to fill.

I have had humidifiers in the past that you could barely get the tank underneath the faucet in the kitchen to fill it up.

You practically have to turn the thing sideways to get it out from underneath the faucet.

And you can’t expect to do so without spilling some of the water.

Also , If I have to turn it upside down to fill it, that means I’m going to get water everywhere.

An easy to fill humidifier that fills from the top and fits in my sink is a must have for a plant humidifier.

2. Easy to clean

Humidifiers are well known to be maintenance heavy devices that require cleaning at least once a week.

And I can tell you that if it’s too hard to mess with, breaking it down and such, it’s probably not going to get done as often as it needs to.

That’s why, when it comes to a humidifier, one of the main things I’m looking for is how easy it is to clean.

On that note, I want to stick it in the dishwasher if I can, and just be done.

An Easy to clean is a “humidifier must have”. Plant or otherwise.

3. Humidity meter (Hygrometer)

Keeping the proper Humidity balance is such an important part of staying healthy and keeping my plants thriving that I want to make sure that I’m running the humidifier only when I need it.

And though I can tell you when it feels muggy or if I’m experiencing more than my share of static electricity, that is not enough to ensure that the humidity level in the house is staying at the proper relative humidity range.

The bottom line is, without a humidity meter (hygrometer) , I have no idea of what my RH (relative humidity) actually is.

One of my “humidifier must haves” is the inclusion of a hygrometer to provide me with an actual way of measuring the humidity without guessing.

4. Humidistat

Along the same lines as a humidity meter, a humidistat turns the humidifier on and off to adjust to the humidity in the room.

It’s very much like a thermostat that you use for your heat and air conditioning. For instance, if you want your room to be 75°, you set your thermostat at 75 and the room slowly adjusts to that temperature.

That’s exactly the same way a humidistat works except for it adjusts the room for relative humidity level.

Smart humidifiers rely on sensors to tell the humidistat to adjust the humidity.

5. Auto shut off

If you have ever owned a basic drug store plastic humidifier then you know what I’m talking about already.

Most humidifiers from yesteryear were basic machines that you feel with water and turn on.

And the machine would stay on regardless until you hit the off button.Which made it not uncommon to come along and find your humidifier bone dry and still running.

Luckily “auto shut off” is a feature you can find fairly easily when you are shopping around for a humidifier these days.

Indicator lights and alerts are also part of the norm for humidifiers these days.

Smart humidifiers can even send you a text when the humidifier is about to be out of water.

Auto shut off is a must-have for your plant humidifier

6. Extra long run time.

A large basin that can hold enough water that my humidifier can run for at least a couple of days without me having to fill it is an essential convenience.

Along the same lines as having to clean it all the time, there is the built-in necessity of having to fill a humidifier with water continuously.

That’s why having a large water tank that doesn’t have to be filled as often is a must-have on the humidifier features list.

7. Warm or cool mist options

Some plants do better with steamier air because it creates more of a simulation of their natural habitat. Many tropical plants for instance are used to heavy humidity and high temperatures all day.

That being said, you may not want a vaporizer running all the time because they are steamier which can make the room feel swampy and it cost more to run a warm mist humidifier.

That’s why owning a humidifier that has both an option to use it as a warm mist or cool mist is a must have for me.

8. Aromatherapy / essential oils

Using essential oils around your plants may not seem like such a great idea until you realize that there are many essential oils and aromatherapy blends that will stop fungal growth.

They also Repel insects, and provide an all-natural alternative to fertilizers that have harmful chemicals and poisons in them.

The inclusion of an aromatherapy tray on a plant humidifier is an absolute must have feature.

9. Wi-Fi

Every home appliance you can think of these days as a Wi-Fi version.

Some of them make a lot of sense and some not so much.

Having the option to monitor your humidifier through an app is a good idea because you can view the relative humidity in your home from a remote location and get an alert letting you know when your water is nearly gone.

You can even turn the humidifier light on, via your phone.

10. Quiet

Humidifiers are so noisy that they are practically White noise machines.

Which can be a good thing for some people and I know that kind of “white noise” can help a baby sleep,

But it’s not for me.

I don’t want a device in the bedroom or the living room but I have to turn the TV or radio up to hear it.

Having a humidifier that is quiet is a must have feature for me.

11. Germ-free

The latest innovation in humidifiers is the addition of different types of options to keep your humidifier germ-free.

Antimicrobial plastic and ultraviolet light are the main ideals at the forefront.

If a guy could get all the features included in this list and top it off with the option of being germ and bacteria free,

I would say that you would have the ultimate plant humidifier.

Plant Humidifier – When, Where, and How (My Experience)

I enjoy plants. I get a real jolt out of seeing plants and flowers that I have potted and kept up with the watering, thriving and growing, big and luscious.

I also have a couple of excellent areas where I put my plants that they seem to grow like crazy in.

One being the window sill in the kitchen,

and the other one being a bathtub (it’s a ridiculously small bathtub, I don’t know what the builders of the house were thinking when they put it in)

that sits underneath a skylight in the bathroom.

Both of those areas work well for growing because of their easy access to water and direct sunlight for 4 or 5 hours a day. Not to mention the amount of humidity in those rooms.

But I also have a room where even though it gets a lot of sunlight, it is very dry and a pain to carry water in there to take care of the plants.

I know that makes me sound lazy, but there is a big difference in taking care of plants when you have easy access to water. Take it from me.

My Plant Humidifier Experience

Recently I decided to go the humidifier route, with the plants in that room.

After all, it only makes sense.

When you compare that room to the other rooms where we keep plants, there’s an obvious difference.

The plants in the bathroom and in the kitchen both get a lot of humidity.

Bathrooms are naturally humid because of the showers going on and kitchens also get their share of humidity from the kitchen sink.

So putting a humidifier in the other plant room to keep moisture in the air seemed like the perfect ideal.

So what did I learn from it?

Are humidifiers good for plants?

Putting a humidifier with my plants works pretty well. Does it transform that area into a greenhouse? Not exactly. But it does make a difference.

The plants seem to be a little greener from just having a little humidity settling on them.

They have that vibe of being happy and healthy, the way they’re reaching for the sky..

I told you I like growing plants.

Do plants need a cool or warm mist humidifier?

I originally used a vaporizer because we just happen to have one in the closet.

And it made sense that tropical plants probably like hot humidity because of their natural habitat and what.

It also seemed like a good idea because the water in the vaporizer was being boiled which means less chance of mold and bacteria growing in it.

Both of those assumptions were true.

But nevertheless, I decided to take out the vaporizer and put a cool mist humidifier in there instead ,because the vaporizer was making the room feel too swampy.

Did I see a difference in the plants by swapping out the vaporizer with the humidifier?

No I didn’t. I’m guessing humidity is humidity no matter what the temperature is.

When should I use a humidifier for my plants?

Some of the other particulars like when and how, I just Googled them.

In Particular, I needed to know when to use it and where to put it.

I needed to know when the actual humidity in the house warranted using a humidifier and I needed to know when, as in what time of the day to use it.

What I found out about “when to use it” made perfect sense when I heard it.

The ideal is to run the humidifier in the morning before the sun shines directly on the plants.

That probably all depends on which room you’re putting them in and what time the Sun shines into that room.

The Sun hits my room in the afternoon, so running the humidifier in the morning is better for me.

The main reason and why it makes so much sense is that if you are running your humidifier at the same time that the Sun is directly hitting your plants,

The condensation that the humidifier creates can have a magnifying glass effect which can cause the sun to burn your plants.

The same reason why they say not to water your grass in the afternoon sun.

Told you it would make sense when you heard it.

As far as the humidity level in the house, it turns out that plants are very similar to humans in the level of humidity that they find most beneficial.

Though some tropical plants need more humidity, most plants thrive best when the humidity in the house is between 40 and 60%. Other plants like succulents prefer desert conditions so a humidifier is pretty useless for growing cactus.

How do you know what your humidity is?

A little device called a hygrometer. It’s also called a humidity gauge or a humidity meter.

As a standalone device, they’re pretty cheap. Around the $20 mark.

But you can also buy a humidifier that has a humidity meter built in. And a humidistat to control when the humidifier comes on and turns off according to the relative humidity of the room at any time.

A much more convenient option.

Where do you place a plant humidifier?

The other thing I needed to know was where to put the humidifier in relation to the plants.

The answer I found when I Googled this didn’t make as much sense to me.

It’s because I would think that plants would love the feeling of having condensation on them.

Since, especially when you’re talking about tropical plants, they are used to having the rain pour down on them.

But the experts say that putting the humidifier too close to your plants can cause them to become limp and mushy.

This probably warrants experimenting.

I think I’m going to have to feel this one out a little longer, because with the amount of sunlight coming into that room, I haven’t noticed any mushiness in my plants.

Plant Humidifier Drawbacks

The main drawback is the maintenance required for the humidifier itself.

Not only is keeping it filled with water a drag, it also has to be cleaned weekly to avoid mold and bacteria growing in it.

So if you are shopping for a humidifier, I suggest you find one that has a big tank that doesn’t require refilling as often,

And find something that is easy to clean. Dishwasher friendly.

Recap

A humidifier for your plants is a great idea.

What better way to simulate the natural habitat of a tropical plant than to add moisture into the air with a humidifier?

Just remember that humidifiers require some work. They have to be refilled and cleaned fairly often.

And there are some rules about when and where you want to put it. Like when to use it and where to put it.

And if you are shopping for a plant humidifier,

A few tips you might want to consider are:

Find one that’s easy to clean.
Find one that is big enough to run a long time without having to refill it.
Get one with a humidity meter( hygrometer) so you can make sure you’re running when you need it and not when you don’t.
And remember you can always go the vaporizer route to minimize the cleaning.

Better yet, get a humidifier that can function as a cool mist humidifier or a warm mist (vaporizer).

Do Air Conditioners Purify Air?

Having an air conditioner is an indispensable part of living in today’s modern culture.

Can you imagine that the indoor air conditioner has only been around since the early 1900s?

Many of the architectural designs we admire, high ceilings for instance, came to be out of necessity define ways to cool off the air inside of the house.

But these days, only a little over a hundred years later, many of us cannot stand to be outside in the summer separated from the cool air indoors.

But as building techniques have grown into highly sophisticated ways keeping our homes sealed up, we now have a different problem of our indoor air being polluted.

Breathing clean air is as fundamental a need as being able to cool down or heat up indoors.

It would be great if the same appliances and machines that cool and heat our air we’re also responsible for cleaning our air. But is that even a possibility?

Do air conditioners purify air?

Air conditioners function mainly to cool off the air in a home but they do work slightly as an air purifier in two ways.

1. They filter the return air.
2. They reduce the humidity that can facilitate mold growth and house dust mites.

Do I need an air purifier if I have AC?

Yes. Though your AC can help clean your air through the return vent and keeping the humidity down to a small extent, your typical indoor air quality is much worse then what the air conditioning is able to combat.

Though your AC does have a filter, the primary reason it is there is not to purify the air but to keep dust pollution from getting into your air conditioner.

And though you can purchase HEPA filters that capture much more air pollutants then the typical AC filter, you have to remember that the AC requires a free flow of air to function properly. Using a dense filter like HEPA for your AC we’ll put a lot of strain on your machine and require much more energy to work.

And though air conditioning coils work much like a dehumidifier, relying on the air conditioner alone to reduce the humidity in the house during the hot summer months also causes the AC to work on overload. Which makes your bill higher and the efficiency what’s your air conditioner work lower.

The air conditioning function of your HVAC unit is also responsible for much of your bad indoor air.

What do I mean?..

The climate inside of your HVAC is moist and it is dark. And there can be actual standing water inside of the drip pan located by the condenser coils.

Standing water in a moist dark area is the ideal environment for mold to grow.

If you have mold inside of the duct work of your AC, then every time your unit cycles, it dispenses mold spores throughout your home via your duct work.

And then the same moldy air gets pulled into your return vents where the cycle starts over again.

Another problem your AC poses to the indoor air quality in your home is dust mites.

If your duct work is dirty, then you have a built-in home for dust mites.

Dust mites also flourish in humidity.

and how humidity is one of the main reasons the air conditioner is running Non-Stop in the summer.

A vicious cycle..

Long story short. Indoor air quality is not best left to an air conditioner to manage.

Air conditioner with air purifier?

With most combo type devices whether it be a humidifier / diffuser or air conditioning and air purifier all-in-one combo, the result is usually subpar.

Most of these machines do completely different jobs and shoving all the parts for both inside a box is not the best ideal.

The portable air conditioner with a built-in air purifier usually means one of two things:

1. It contains a HEPA filter that can filter out smaller particles as the air is being pulled into the air conditioner.

2. Or the purifier itself is an ionizer.

Using a HEPA filter in the slot where the normal AC filter goes will capture a little more of the airborne contaminants then the typical filter but it cannot do anywhere as much as having a dedicated filtering air purifier.

Plus the exchange of air that an air conditioner requires to work properly does not happen easily when the air filter is extra dense like a HEPA.

The result will be much like running the air conditioner with a dirty filter which limits its ability to cool dramatically.

A portable or window air conditioner with a built-in ionizer is a better idea but it doesn’t exactly make for all the components of a good air conditioner or a good air purifier.

The problem is is that ions have a very short life and they have a even shorter life when they are blown by a fan.

The air condition will have to be kept on it the lowest fan setting for the ionization to have a real effect on the room.

But…

Ionizers inside of a HVAC air conditioning unit can be a much better idea.

Specifically ionizers that use photocatalytic oxidation or plasma.

Placing these air purifiers directly into the ductwork and the plenum of your HVAC can extremely limit the amount of mold and germs, as well as dust mites that are distributed by your AC and heat every time your air handler kicks on.

This is the best way that your air conditioning can actually be your air purifier and efficiently work as a air purifier and air conditioner.

Summary

Can your air conditioner purify air?

Yes your air conditioner does have some slight air-purifying function because it does contain a filter that captures dust pollution before it is pulled into the AC.

Also air conditioners have a dehumidifier effect that help reduce moisture in the air which can facilitate dust mites and mold spores.

But air conditioning is not an air purifier and does not have the capacity to manage indoor air quality or efficiently combat indoor air pollution.

Though there are a few portable air conditioner and air purifier combo available to the public, they are fundamentally flawed and do not cool or clean the air, either one efficiently.

But if your home is outfitted with central heat and air, the opportunity for you to have an air conditioner that efficiently cleans the air is available.

In duct air purifiers, specifically photocatalytic and plasma in-duct air purifiers can efficiently clean the air inside of your ductwork as well as clean the air that is returning to your unit to be redistributed.

Hopefully as time moves forward, this type of air purification will be built in to each central heat and air unit that is being installed.

We’ll see…