Austin Air Purifiers work to make sure that micro-particles in the air are removed, since we can’t see them and are helpless to do anything about them. They can also remove a certain amount of larger, more visible elements, such as fine dust, pollen, and smoke. The variety of particles an Austin Air Purifier can reduce ranges widely from sub-micron particles, chemicals, gases, micro-organisms, and odors, to mold, chemical vapors, gases, viruses and bacteria.
The question of dust, however, comes in because many dust particles are heavy enough that they are not taken in by the Austin Air fan. You may even be surprised to discover some dust collecting on the unit itself! This is normal and does not mean that your unit isn’t functioning. Here’s why.
As an example, imagine you’re using a vacuum hose and you hold it near a soccer ball. Even if you hold it just a couple of feet away from the ball, it likely isn’t going to move any closer to the suction of the vacuum. If you put the hose right next to the ball, it will probably react to the suction. Now imagine bringing the vacuum near a couple of ping-pong balls. These are much lighter, and you’d see the suction draw the light-weight balls towards it from a farther distance.
The Austin Air Purifier works in the same way. It’s not designed to be taking in most of the large, visible particles of dust. It’s not going to swallow crumbs or dirt out of the air, either. Particles that are heavy enough to sink to the ground, rather than stay suspended in the air, will not get sucked up by the Austin Air Purifier unless they are in very close proximity to the unit. The Austin Air Purifier is designed to pin-point those micro-particles that we can’t see and are unable to remove on our own but that can cause harmful effects. It circulates all particulate that are light enough to stay suspended in the air, and will eventually draw those particles into the unit as the air in the room is moved around. Dust or other things that are too heavy to stay up in the air will simply sink to the ground and will not necessarily be picked up by the unit. The unit will get “some” dust…just not “all” the dust.
When dust collects on the top and sides of your unit, simply use a vacuum to clean it off so that the purifier can continue to bring in the micro-particles through the screen without being blocked by the build-up. Also, periodically remove the pre-filter (the long piece of white or black foam-like material) from inside the unit and take it outside for a good shake and vacuum it off as well. This will help your Austin Air Purifier to function as efficiently as possible and extend the life of your filter.