Do air purifiers affect humidity?
This is a fair question. Also, some people ask: Does an air purifier dry out the air? Well, it is easy to understand why people ask these questions.
An air purifier pulls in air inside itself, removes the impurities and then it pumps out clean air. Thus, if your air feels damp, you will definitely want to know whether the air purifier will remove the moisture from the air.
So, once and for all, we shall answer this question here. Do air purifiers dry out the air? Humidifiers and dehumidifiers deal with moisture in the air, increasing it and lowering it respectively. An air purifier only removes allergens like pollen, dust mites and other pollutants.
Today, unless you are buying an appliance that comes as a two-in-one design, it is hard to find one that can play two roles. For instance, an air conditioner cools the air by lowering the temperature.
Read: Why is my dehumidifier blowing cold air
A humidifier increases humidity, a dehumidifier lowers humidity while a diffuser releases fragrance into the room.
Why do you need an air purifier?
If this appliance cannot dry the air, why then do you need it?
In another article, we asked: is an air purifier worth it? And the answer is yes, it is definitely worth it. If you live in a place such as Long Beach in Los Angeles, you need an air purifier.
The air is polluted with particulate matter from diesel emissions, pesticides and other pollutants.
It removes allergens from your air
In the pollen season, you will need an air purifier to remove these allergens from your indoor air. Pollen is notorious for causing flu, running noses and other ailments. It can also affect people who suffer from asthma.
When it is pollen season, you need to close your doors and windows and then purify the air inside. When going out, you should probably wear a mask.
It removes pet dander and hair from your air
But you do not even have to be living in a place with polluted air for you to need an air purifier. If you have pets at home, they release fur that floats in the air.
They also have pet dander and it is a serious indoor allergen especially if you have someone who is a victim of asthma.
An air purifier will remove almost everything that floats in the air. Thus, when the pet dander and the pet hair float, they are pulled into the air purifier.
They are then passed over the HEPA filters and they are captured. The unit releases the purified air back into the room.
It will continue pulling in the air in the room with every cycle. It will do this until all the air in the room will have passed through it.
It removes formaldehyde and VOC
Do air purifiers get rid of chemicals? As a matter of fact, they do. They can also get rid of what we collectively call VOC – volatile organic compounds.
These are volatile organic gases that come from certain liquids and solids. They can even come from paint.
Other common sources of VOC include cleaning products. Mattresses, fabrics and adhesives such as are used to make furniture are also some of the most common sources of VOC.
You can see that no matter how safe you think you are, there is always something to pollute your air. I guess what we are trying to say here is that every home needs an air purifier that can get rid of VOC.
Formaldehyde is a colorless gas that comes from new building materials, furniture and other things.
If you have moved to a new house, you should run an air purifier for a few days to remove all the formaldehyde.
Air purifier removes fuel fumes
In today’s heavily industrialized world where many things run on fossil fuels, there is a heavy presence of petrol and diesel fumes in the air, especially in neighborhoods located close to the industrial areas.
These fumes also come from vehicle emissions. However, please note that a regular HEPA filter air purifier will not be able to remove dust, fumes and gases. Thus, you might have to invest in a unit that uses activated charcoal. It is good at trapping gases and odors.
To make the air purifier effective, you should do the following two things:
- Only use it for the space that it is rated for or smaller
- Only use it in a room with closed doorways and windows. If they are open, more air with pollutants will come in from outside
- Make sure the air purifier that you buy has HEPA filters. They can capture up to 99.9% of most of the indoor allergens. However, not all units can remove viruses from the air.
Do Air Purifiers Affect Humidity? FAQ
Certainly, air purifiers do not dry the air. However, you might still need some clarification on its functions and different applications. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions regarding the use of this appliance.
Do air purifiers lower humidity?
They certainly do not lower humidity in the house. Thus, you need to buy a dehumidifier to remove extra moisture from the air and low indoor humidity from 70 percent to 50 percent.
Remember, excess humidity at home leads to the formation of mold, which is a serious indoor allergen.
Should I put air purifier high or low?
It is best to keep the air purifier in an elevated position so that it can draw in most of the air in the room easily. The general recommendation is that you should not put it on the ground and you should not hang it higher than 5 feet off the ground.
Does air purifier increase humidity?
It only purifies the air and it does not increase moisture content. The air that goes into the air purifier comes out, only minus the pollutants. Since the filters cannot trap the moisture, it will come back out with high humidity.
Do air purifiers make fresh air?
Absolutely. Just ensure that the air purifier that you buy can capture odors, gases and VOC. When it is done overhauling all the air in the room, it will be fresh and free of many pollutants, including mold spores. Some advanced purifiers can even capture viruses.
Can air purifiers make your throat dry?
You are likely to develop a dry throat from inhaling dry air. However, since an air purifier does not dry out the air, it therefore cannot make your throat dry. However, when there are many impurities in the air, they can cause a dry throat.
How do you add moisture to dry air?
You can try natural ways of increasing humidity or you can just run a humidifier. Another popular option is to buy indoor plants that release moisture into the surrounding. Also, running steam in the bathroom, cooking and doing laundry can increase the humidity level in the house.
Do Air Purifiers Affect Humidity? Final Thoughts
For dry air, you need to get a dehumidifier. If you live in a humid place like Florida, you need a dehumidifier.
An air purifier is not going to lower the humidity level in your house. The good thing is that you can run a dehumidifier and an air purifier at the same time.
If you just want to clean the air and lower humidity in a small room, you can use a battery powered dehumidifier and air purifying unit.
