Are Air Purifiers And Air Dehumidifiers The Same Or Not?

Moving into a new home or outstaying your welcome in your old one both have their upsides and downsides. In a new home, everything looks superb, and it takes a while before you discover the creaks and leaks. However, your old home has already been through the test of time and will definitely have its own faults.

Some of these include dampness from leaks and numerous other factors that could cause allergies and various respiratory illnesses. This is where products like air purifiers and dehumidifiers come in to make life around the house much easier.

However, while both these appliances might seem similar, they actually serve considerably different purposes.

So, which of them will work best for your home? Perhaps one of them is more important to your kids? Not to worry, all these issues and more will be tackled below as we find out whether air purifiers and dehumidifiers the same or not.

Air Purifiers Vs Dehumidifiers

Now, both purifiers and dehumidifier can be credited for minimising the allergen level in the house or office and making the air much easier to breath; especially for people with asthma, allergies, and respiratory issues.

The real differences lie in how these appliances operate, and which part of the air they actually deal with.

Air Purifiers

air purifier

VonHaus Air Purifier

A good air purifier takes in air and circulates it through filters that remove a broad range or air pollutants such as pollen, dust, smoke particles and even hair from pets. They use HEPA filters and other similar technologies to do so.

Some of them actually target and exterminate harmful pathogens and bacteria in the air that pose a threat to your family’s health. Others go as far as eradicating odours and horrible stenches around the home.

All these are things that a dehumidifier does not do. Keep in mind that an air purifier might prevent the build up of mold and mildew since it removes spores and contaminants in the air.

However, due to the fact that a purifier has no way of controlling humidity levels, excessive moisture could lead to another mold outbreak.

Air Dehumidifiers

air dehumidifier

EcoAir DD122FW-MK5

It’s pretty easy to guess what air dehumidifiers do just by the name alone. A dehumidifier’s main function is to get rid of excessive moisture from the atmosphere and significantly bring down humidity levels in a room.

Some of the reasons you could buy dehumidifier include mitigating health and comfort issues as well as dealing with the ill effects of excessive moisture such as mold and a musty environment.

Excessive moisture in itself is bad for your health, but once you ignore the problem, your home could turn into a massive breeding ground for moths, roaches, fleas, dust mites and the devastating woodlice.

It is important to note that a dehumidifier has no way of cleaning or filtering your air as it circulates inside the unit. However, while it doesn’t deal with allergens and dust mites, it creates an environment where all these contaminants cannot thrive. Don’t forget that the proper maintenance is very important.

Research has shown that most sources of allergies and asthma triggers wither away and die when humidity levels drop to below 50 percent.

Conclusion

Now that you know an air purifier removes contaminants from the air and a dehumidifier drastically cuts down the atmospheric water levels, choosing the best fit for your home or office should be pretty straightforward.

If excessive moisture is what’s bugging you, go with a dehumidifier to reduce the dampness, hence the mould and ill effects of high humidity levels.

However, if your air is relatively dry and ridden with dust, pollen, mould and nasty odors, an air purifier is exactly what you need.

There is another group that suffers from both unclean air and excessive humidity. In this case, buying both a purifier and a dehumidifier might just be what the doctor ordered.

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