# No reading indoors

**URL:** <https://community.purpleair.com/t/no-reading-indoors/22046>\
**Category:** Troubleshooting\
**Created:** [August 5, 2025, 2:53pm UTC](https://community.purpleair.com/t/no-reading-indoors/22046 "2025-08-05T14:53:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![debbliss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b38774/32.png) [@debbliss](https://community.purpleair.com/u/debbliss)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2025, 2:53pm UTC](https://community.purpleair.com/t/no-reading-indoors/22046/1 "2025-08-05T14:53:25Z")

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I moved my Zen sensor from outdoors, where it reliably sends a reading, to indoors and plugged it in. Now it shows no reading on the map. Am I supposed to do something else?  
NVM. I unplugged it & put in its little stand and now it lights up. Still don’t understand, though

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**Author:** ![Bumchamp7](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.purpleair.com/bumchamp7/32/2765_2.png) [@Bumchamp7](https://community.purpleair.com/u/Bumchamp7)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2025, 8:16pm UTC](https://community.purpleair.com/t/no-reading-indoors/22046/2 "2025-08-11T20:16:08Z")

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I always thought those sensors were geared for outdoor air pollution; I don’t know much about how they register any indoor pollution, if they are capable of that. It seems they SHOULD be capable of that.

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**Author:** ![debbliss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b38774/32.png) [@debbliss](https://community.purpleair.com/u/debbliss)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2025, 12:46am UTC](https://community.purpleair.com/t/no-reading-indoors/22046/3 "2025-08-12T00:46:00Z")

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My understanding is that the Zen model, which I have, reads both indoors & outdoors and can be moved. The unplugging in order to move it seems to require it to reset, which does just take a few minutes. It’s working well now.

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**Author:** ![Kieran](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.purpleair.com/kieran/32/6220_2.png) [@Kieran](https://community.purpleair.com/u/Kieran)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 10:44pm UTC](https://community.purpleair.com/t/no-reading-indoors/22046/4 "2025-10-23T22:44:15Z")

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@debbliss @Bumchamp7

Yes, we advertise the Zen as an indoor/outdoor hybrid model, mostly because of the swappable base mount that allows the sensor to be mounted on a vertical surface or placed on a horizontal surface.

That being said, all PurpleAir sensors are capable of measuring indoor or outdoor air, as they’re just measuring particulate matter.