Table of Contents
Is An Air Purifier The Same As A Dehumidifier?
No.
The function of an air purifier is to reduce airborne pollutants such as allergies and pollen in a room.
The function of a dehumidifier is to remove excessive humidity from a room.
| Feature | Air Purifier | Dehumidifier |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Varies, often compact | Often large and bulky |
| Usage | Useful all year long | Mostly used in high humidity months |
| Heat Generation | Runs cooler (like a typical fan) | Runs hot, increases room temperature |
| Noise Level | Can be quiet, depends on model | Often loud, similar to a window AC |
| Primary Function | Cleans the air (removes allergens, pollutants) | Reduces humidity (removes moisture from air) |
Though and air purifier is not exactly the same as a dehumidifier they do share some qualities and functions.
For instance, they both help with the reduction of airborne allergens.
Air purifiers reduce allergies through a series of filters, that depending on the top of air purifier can include HEPA (high efficiency particulate absorber),
Activated carbon, and Ionic.
Dehumidifiers also reduce allergies in a room because excessive humidity is a big factor in the facilitation of dust mites and the growth of mold and mold spores.
In other words by reducing excessive humidity, they reduce the allergens that thrive in it.
But fundamentally an air purifier and a dehumidifier are meant for two different functions and are not meant to be interchangeable.
Though humidity can be a big factor in household allergens, humidity is a problem that most people have only in a certain time of the year.
Mainly the hot summer months.
And the truth is once those months are over, the dehumidifier will usually get cleaned and stored until the next year.
But a air purifier does not depend on the climate or time of the year to reduce airborne allergens. Its sole purpose is to keep the air in your home clean and healthy, regardless of the humidity.
Can you use a dehumidifier and an air purifier in the same room?
Can you use a dehumidifier and an air purifier in the same room?Yes. the function of an air purifier does not clash with the function of a dehumidifier in any fashion.
An air purifier is a machine that cleans the air.
A dehumidifier is a machine that reduces humidity in the air.
A dehumidifier actually helps with the function of reducing allergens because because there are certain allergens like dust mites and mold that thrive in excessive humidity.
By using a dehumidifier to reduce the excessive humidity in a room, you are not only making the room more comfortable, you are actually making it easier to breathe in.
But the dehumidifier is a seasonal allergy reducer at best and the air purifier will continue to reduce allergens all year long.
Does a dehumidifier help purify the air?
Yes. By removing excessive humidity you are removing the capacity for mold and dust mites to thrive in that humidity.
So in a sense you are removing the ingredients for dust mites and mold spores to grow in the first place.
But a dehumidifier does not work like an air purifier?
It does not have a HEPA filter like the traditional air purifier so it will do nothing to remove other contaminants from the air like pet dander and pollen which are usually your most cited household allergens.
Do I need a dehumidifier if I have an air purifier?
Do I need a dehumidifier if I have an air purifier?Yes, if you have a problem with high humidity in your house, you will need a dehumidifier to reduce the moisture.
The function of an air purifier is to reduce airborne contaminants and will do nothing to reduce humidity in a room.
A dehumidifier is for reducing moisture in the air and an air purifier is for reducing allergens in the air.
Can you get a combination dehumidifier and an air purifier in one?
Yes you can. But should you?
Though it may seem that having one machine that can do everything would be a much easier and simpler solution. There is a few things to think about when combining an air purifier and a dehumidifier that you may have not thought of.
1. Size
Dehumidifiers are fairly large appliances that don’t blend easily
with the other furniture.
Not only are they bulky, they need to be centralized in the room to be able to work efficiently.
Air purifiers on the other hand come in all sorts of elegant designs that are made to blend into the household ambiance.
Air purifiers are mostly very mobile-friendly also.
2. Usage
Dehumidifiers only have a limited amount of time of the year were they are actually useful.
Air purifiers are useful all year long.
Having a dehumidifier- air purifier combo means keeping the dehumidifier on the house the whole year long or buying a separate air purifier when you’re not using the combo machine.
3. Heat
Dehumidifiers are hot.
Though one of the main functions of using a dehumidifier for some people is to reduce the heat in the house, the actual machine itself runs hot and actually increases the temperature of the room that it is used in. A dehumidifier expels hot air out of the back of the machine just like a window air conditioner does. It is because both machines are very closely related and use the same technology to pull humidity from the room.
The most common air purifiers simply pull air through a series of filters. They do not run any hotter then the typical fan.
4.Noise
Dehumidifiers are loud. Window air conditioner loud. Hepa air purifiers are noisy too. Imagine both running at the same time,
5. Drainage
A dehumidifier has to be emptied. The point of a dehumidifier is to extract the moisture out of the air. The extracted water either goes into a basin that has to be emptied or else it can funneled outside via a water hose. A garden hose running across
the floor may not be exactly the look your wife is going for.
Summary.
Summary.An air purifier is not the same thing as a dehumidifier.
An air purifiers purpose to clean the air and a dehumidifiers purpose is to reduce moisture in the air.
Though it is a dehumidifier may help reduce airborne allergens by reducing the humidity in a room for allergens to facilitate,
Its primary function is to reduce humidity and removing mold and dust mites is only a byproduct.
Dehumidifiers are also only useful when the humidity is excessive, namely July and August.
Running an air purifier and a dehumidifier at the same time can only help an air purifier but a dehumidifier does not do much to help a air purifier.
Regardless they do not clash in anyway and can be operated simultaneously.
FAQ
1. What is the primary function of an air purifier compared to a dehumidifier?
An air purifier’s primary function is to clean the air by removing allergens and pollutants. In contrast, a dehumidifier’s main purpose is to reduce humidity by removing moisture from the air.
2. Can air purifiers and dehumidifiers be used simultaneously in the same room?
Yes, they can be used together as their functions do not clash. An air purifier cleans the air, while a dehumidifier reduces humidity, which can also aid in allergen reduction.
3. Do dehumidifiers help in purifying the air?
Dehumidifiers can indirectly purify the air by removing conditions that allow allergens like mold and dust mites to thrive. However, they do not have HEPA filters to remove other air contaminants like pollen or pet dander.
4. Is it necessary to have a dehumidifier if you already have an air purifier?
Yes, if your home has high humidity levels. While air purifiers reduce airborne contaminants, they do not affect humidity levels, which dehumidifiers specifically target.
5. Are there combination units available that serve as both an air purifier and a dehumidifier?
Yes, combination units are available. However, it’s important to consider factors like size, usage, heat generation, and noise level when opting for a combined unit.
6. Are dehumidifiers typically louder than air purifiers?
Dehumidifiers often run louder, comparable to a window AC unit, whereas many air purifiers operate more quietly, depending on the model.
7. How do size and design differ between air purifiers and dehumidifiers?
Dehumidifiers are usually larger and bulkier, needing to be centralized in a room for efficiency. Air purifiers vary in size, often more compact, and come in designs that blend into household décor.
