What Air Pro senses in the air
There are two sensors within Air Pro: a particulate sensor and a chemical sensor.
The chemical sensor in Air Pro is designed to reversibly react with specific chemicals in the air, giving you a window into the composition of the air in the room it’s in, which can help to maintain air quality. The chemical sensor contains elements that react with the atmosphere, so Air Pro can tell when water vapor, VOCs, or carbon dioxide levels change.
The chemical sensor can detect these three dimensions of air quality and let you know their approximate concentration in the air. There is more to air pollution than the particles detected by the particle sensor or these three readings. While Air Pro will not detect other pollutants like ozone, the PECO technology at the core of the purifier is still working to destroy them.
The Chemical Sensor
The chemical sensor is actually three sensors in one, each able to measure a different aspect of air quality.
- CO2: Carbon dioxide, or CO2, is a byproduct of living things and the burning of fuels. Its primary indoor source in occupied spaces is typically human respiration.
- RH: Relative humidity, or RH%, is a measure of how much water vapor is present in the air. Humidity has many sources, including the environment, leaking pipes, or just indoor use of hot water.
- VOCs: Volatile Organic Compounds, or VOCs, are a very broad category of carbon-based airborne chemicals that are very common in the household and come from thousands of places. You may notice your sensor detecting VOCs even when you might not be aware of possible sources in the room.
The VOC sensor may detect any of the following:- Cleaning products
- Essential oils
- Freshly applied glues, lacquers, or paints
- New furniture, plastic, building material, or clothing
- Hobby or craft supplies
- Fuel or automotive products
- Copiers, printers, or other office electronic equipment
- Air fresheners, fragrances, cologne, or perfume
- Cooking
- Alcoholic drinks
- Natural gas or propane
- Hair sprays, bug sprays, spray deodorant, or other spray bottles
- Smoke of any type including vaping products and e-cigarettes
- Activation of a heating element such as a toaster or electric heater
- Strong smells from living things such as pets and gym bags
- Note: Not all VOCs are toxic, so if you see a high level of VOCs we suggest seeking out the source and leaving your Air Pro on Auto Protect mode. Air Pro and PECO technology will always be working to reduce the presence of VOCs and prevent them from building up, but levels may not go down completely if there is a continuous source indoors, such as storing cleaning chemicals near the sensor or frequent use of an essential oil diffuser.
You can learn more about VOCs in your home from our What are volatile organic compounds? blog post