Expanding our network
The Healthy Air Network is working with our partners to add more Purple Air sensors to track air quality across the region. Hitchcock Center for the Environment, Franklin Regional Council of Governments, Westfield RAFT, Health Resources in Action and the Public Health Institute have received grants to add new sensors. Keep checking back to see the network expand!
Calibration
Before installing the sensors in communities, the sensors are sent to our team at Yale School of Public Health for calibration. The sensors are placed placed for a minimum of two weeks at an EPA monitoring station to collocate with regulatory grade reference air monitors. The Yale team then applies that calibration to the sensor readings once they are deployed. Once sensors are installed at network sites, the operating status of these sensors are continuously monitored in real-time through an online sensor health dashboard.
Why are the air quality readings on the Healthy Air Network website different from what is reported on other websites such as Purple Air or Air Now?
Hosting a sensor
The Healthy Air Network works though our partners to find hosts for the air sensors. The air sensors require:
- Access to an outdoor power outlet to plug in the sensor
- Access to WiFi within the range of the power outlet
The Purple Air sensors are small, about 4”x4”x4” in size and weigh about 0.25 lbs and only need a simple screw for installation.
The sensor should be sited:
- Within 6 ft of a power outlet
- Within 100 feet of the Wi-Fi router
- At least 6 ft above ground, avoiding exhaust or vents
- On a flat surface which can accommodate screws for mounting
- In a protected location, like an eave
- In an accessible location for potential maintenance
- In an area clear from other structures or devices
Please contact us or check with our partners in your region if you would like to host a sensor.
Already have a Purple Air?
If you or your organization already has a sensor(s), we can work with you to add your sensor to our network. All sensors must be calibrated by Yale School of Public Health to ensure the best quality data for the network. This means that the sensor must taken down and shipped to the Yale team for calibration. Please contact us to find out more.
Detailed information on installation and connection
Troubleshooting Sensors
We are setting up an automated email alert for sensors that stop reporting after 12 hours. In the meantime, our team checks on air sensors. We ask our sensor hosts to do the same. In the event of the sensor outage – when it turns gray on the map– please follow these steps:
1. Check the power.
- Unplug the unit at the power outlet, wait 10 seconds, and plug it back in.
- This power reset usually fixes the connection!
- It can take up to an hour for the sensor to show up as a colored dot again on the Healthy Air Network map.
2. Check on the Wi-Fi.
Have you recently updated the Wi-Fi information or password?
- If the Wi-Fi password or network has not changed and the sensor loses power, the sensor will automatically reconnect to the network. The sensor saves the Wi-Fi password. Be patient with the reconnection.
- If the Wi-Fi password or network has changed, the sensor will need to be manually reconnected to the internet using your phone.
- Go outside and stand by the air sensor to connect to the sensor using your phone.
- For PurpleAir Sensors – Look at your list of available Wi-Fi networks and select the “AirMonitor_xxx” code for your sensor from the drop-down. This will direct you to the PurpleAir Website, where you can input your updated Wi-Fi information and get the sensor back online
- For AirU Sensors – Open the Tetrad Connect App and press “Provision Device.” Using your phone Bluetooth, you will be able to connect to the AirU sensor and input the updated Wi-Fi information and password to reconnect.
3. Check for damage or missing parts.
Sometime spiders or other creatures try to make a home in the sensors. Please check to see if any debris or cobwebs are limiting sensor function. If there is any distinct damage or missing parts, such as a lost or broken power cable, we will do our best to replace it, based on available funding.
4. Contact us.
If problems persist, contact us or your regional partner.
Last modified: November 23, 2024
