The red light on your Coway air purifier likely means that you have very poor indoor air quality, or that you need to replace your filters.
Modern air purifiers, like those in the Coway product line, do not only rid your indoor air of unwanted and harmful particulates, but they also provide you with a wealth of knowledge about the machine, and about your space in a single glance.
And while it can be concerning and stressful to glance over and notice that your unit’s control panel is displaying a bright red light, it is important to keep in mind that red lights do not always indicate the presence of a serious problem or issue with the unit.
The reasons why you might be seeing red
There are many different reasons why your Coway air purifier may be displaying a red indicator light.
But the two most common reasons why your unit could be displaying a red light, include that it may be the end of a filter cycle, and a degeneration of the quality of your air.
If the red light near the “HEPA” or “ODOR” indicators are flashing or illuminated, this means that these filters need to be replaced and that the unit needs to be reset before it will be able to operate normally again.
However, if you are seeing the big, “Air Quality” light on the side of the control panel light up red, this indicates that your unit is detecting very poor indoor air quality and you may need to resort to other methods to improve the indoor air quality before this light will change colors again.
Understanding the Coway air quality color system
Although the main function of the Coway air purifiers is to remove dust, debris and other unwanted particles from the air in your space, they actually also monitor the quality of your indoor air.
As a result, the air quality indicator light on the control panel may light up in many different colors, depending on the quality of your air. This includes:
| Light color | Air quality |
| Blue or green | Clean air (good air quality) |
| Green, Purple or yellow | Moderately clean air (moderate air quality) |
| Dark purple, yellow or pink | Polluted air (unhealthy air quality) |
| Red or pink | Very polluted air (very unhealthy air quality) |
How to improve your indoor air quality
Though an air purifier is said to be an effective way for you to keep the air in your home relatively “clean”, it may not be enough if you live in an environment with extremely poor quality air.
Fortunately, there are many ways to support your Coway air purifier in its air purifying endeavors. In order to do this, you may need to move the air purifier away from high-pollution sources, like stoves, ovens, bathrooms and more.
You may also need to ensure that all of the windows and doors in your space are properly insulated to prevent all of the harmful “outside” pollution from seeping into your home.
And you may even need to try dusting off your home or cleaning it more regularly.
Checking the air quality sensor
If you find that the air quality indicator light on your Coway air purifier is always red even though the air quality in your home should not be that poor, it could mean that there is something wrong with the air quality sensor.
Over time, dust and other kinds of debris can settle on this sensor and impede its functionality.
In this case, you will need to locate this sensor (which may be hidden behind the back or side panels of the unit) and carefully clean it using a soft cleaning brush like an old toothbrush, or a microfiber cloth.
Remember to switch off and unplug the unit before you remove any panels or move it around.
Other troubleshooting tips to get rid of the red light
If your indoor air quality has improved and you have cleaned the air quality filter, but your Coway air purifier is still showing that the air quality is poor, there are some other troubleshooting tips that you can try.
These include:
- Properly cleaning the pre-filter by running over it with your vacuum or lightly scrubbing it under running water with a soft brush
- Increasing the air purifier’s fan speed
- Ensuring that all of the air purifier’s filters have been installed correctly and securely
- Ensuring that the unit has unobstructed airflow by clearing at least three feet of space all around the unit
- Ensuring that the unit has been placed on a level surface
- Ensuring that the back of the unit is free of any obstructions or blockages by wiping it down with a microfiber cloth