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How to use an air ioniser

Updated: 21 October 2026

You have unboxed an air ioniser and the leaflet is missing or written for a different plug. How to use an air ioniser depends on which setup in the [ioniser comparison](/hub/cooling/ionizer) you actually own: a filter-free PTYcrazy plug, a USB cube, a Blueair with HEPASilent, or a Winix with PlasmaWave. This page is the evening’s setup, not a ranking. Placement, power, what working looks like, and cleaning are different for each. Peter F. took the steps from the amazon.co.uk listings and reviews in that set. There was no lab test. A link to Amazon is an affiliate link, and a qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have unboxed an air ioniser and the leaflet is missing or written for a different plug.

Our top picks

PTYcrazy PTYcrazy XY-03 plug-in ioniser, 2 pack

Best overall

PTYcrazy PTYcrazy XY-03 plug-in ioniser, 2 pack
5.5/10about £10.99
View offer
Winix Winix 5500-2

Rank 2

Winix Winix 5500-2
9.1/10about £159
View offer
MELEDEN MELEDEN GL2103 desktop HEPA ioniser

Best value

MELEDEN MELEDEN GL2103 desktop HEPA ioniser
7.5/10about £19.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Which unit you actually own
  2. 2.Place it and power it
  3. 3.What working looks like
  4. 4.Clean, replace, or switch the ion stage off

Which unit you actually own

Look at the box before you copy a runtime from a forum. The PTYcrazy XY-03 is two plugs, 110 g, with no filter and no fan. The MELEDEN and JINPUS cubes are both GL2103, about 550 g, with a USB lead, and they are separate listings. The MELEDEN states about 10 m² and an 8-hour shut-off. The JINPUS filter twists out from underneath. The Mini Max is the small mains unit, 10 W, with a child lock. The 3250i adds an app, carbon and 48 m². The Winix towers weigh 6.7 kg and add PlasmaWave beside HEPA and carbon. An ozone generator with a milligram-per-hour figure is not one of these seven. If you are still choosing a type, use the ioniser buying guide.

Place it and power it

Put a plug-in where air can move past it, not behind a curtain. PTYcrazy reviews use a bedroom or a hallway, and one buyer still opens a window. There is no 12 V lead, and the pin shape is not stated. The USB cubes need a charger you already trust, with a BS 1363 plug. The MELEDEN wall charger is not included. If a Mini arrives with no plug, return it. Seat the pre-filter, carbon and HEPA as the diagram shows. NICE guidance is still to ventilate when you cook or shower. When to stop is on ioniser ozone and safety.
PTYcrazy PTYcrazy XY-03 plug-in ioniser, 2 pack

Testsieger

PTYcrazy PTYcrazy XY-03 plug-in ioniser, 2 pack
5.5/10about £10.99
View offer

What working looks like

A filter-free ioniser is working, in the only sense these reviews support, when the room smells a little fresher and dust later sits on a surface. You still dust. On the MELEDEN, press twice for the 8-hour shut-off. If it is louder than 32 dB, other buyers heard that too. On the JINPUS, sleep mode dims the light. On the Mini, tap lightly. A hard press is how reviewers think the buttons are broken. Give a small room about half an hour, matching the 8.6 m² bullet. On a Winix, the air-quality light moving off red is the sign reviewers use. Turbo is loud, so drop the speed after a clear-out. PlasmaWave can buzz. On the 5300-2, a light sensor one owner could not disable drops auto and PlasmaWave in the dark.

Clean, replace, or switch the ion stage off

Unplug before you wipe, vacuum or twist a filter. The PTYcrazy has no filter. Dust the surfaces where particles have fallen, and stop if the plug smells of burning or the pins are hot. Both GL2103 listings say the filter is not washable and should be replaced about every six months. The JINPUS filter twists out from underneath in a review. Do not wash it. The Winix pre-filter is the washable mesh. Let it dry before it goes back. Replace the HEPA and carbon stages rather than rinse them. One 5500-2 user changed unbranded filters about every two months at about £20. Leave PlasmaWave off if you dislike the buzz or the odd smell one 5500-2 reviewer reported. Leaving it off does not remove the HEPA and carbon. Blueair’s charge is inside HEPASilent, so these listings have no separate ion-off step on the Mini or the 3250i. If you are treating the machine as asthma care, stop and use NHS 111.

Common questions

Where do I put a plug-in so it is not buried in a curtain?
Use an open socket in the room you occupy. Bedroom and hallway are the placements PTYcrazy reviewers describe. Keep fabric off the face of the plug. A 30 cm gap is a tip from another brand’s FAQ, not a measured XY-03 rule. Open a window if the smell is strong.
The USB unit has no plug. What now?
Use your own charger. The MELEDEN ships a micro-USB cable and states that the wall charger is not included. The JINPUS ships a 5 V, 1.5 m USB cable and no adaptor. A phone charger with a BS 1363 plug is the normal fix. A power bank can run the JINPUS for a while, as one review did. Do not expect the cube to include UK pins.
How do I know the Mini’s buttons worked?
Tap lightly. Reviewers miss the press when they push too hard. You should hear or feel the fan step between speeds 1, 2 and 3. The child lock is there so a casual touch does not change that step. If there is no fan at all and the unit arrived without a plug, that is the missing-plug return, not a technique problem.
PlasmaWave buzzes. Is it broken?
Not by itself. Winix describes PlasmaWave as a stage that can be on, and reviews mention a buzz. Switch it off and see if the buzz stops while the fan continues. If the fan is dead, or the smell is electrical rather than the unusual odour one 5500-2 reviewer tied to PlasmaWave, unplug it. A buzz that leaves when plasma is off is the stage, not a failed bearing.
The 5300-2 goes quiet and drops plasma when the room is dark. Is that a fault?
It is the behaviour one owner reported, tied to a light sensor they could not turn off. Auto mode and PlasmaWave dropped in the dark. Forcing the sensor with tape can block a vent. Use a manual speed overnight, and read the warranty if sleep mode later grows noisy.

Related pages

Ioniser vs HEPA filter

Ioniser

Best ioniser: who each amazon.co.uk listing is for

Ioniser buying guide: plug, desk cube or room unit

Are air ionisers safe in the UK? Ozone, asthma, plugs

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, used for this page on 20 October 2026. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in this comparison. Listing CADR, room and decibel figures were not treated as a lab test.

  1. HSE EH38: ozone workplace exposure (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. NICE NG149: indoor air quality at home (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. NHS Right Decisions: ionisers and asthma (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. SAGE EMG, 4 November 2020: air cleaning devices (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. Which?: how to buy an air purifier (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. Cochrane: ionisers for chronic asthma (retrieved 20 October 2026)