As we all know, the house is everyone’s world and shelter. That’s why it must be a comfortable and appealing space that satisfies a good number of conditions like the quality of air and humidity.
Humidity is one of the issues that we usually find in houses where we live, particularly in the basement that may smell like damp.
According to the WHO, 4.3 million people die annually from exposure to household air pollutants, and pneumonia and lung cancer account for 12% and 6% of deaths, respectively women, and children. That’s why it is essential to take care of the quality of indoor air.
In such situations, people get confused and don’t know if they have to use an air purifier or a dehumidifier.
Actually, they may need both of them because each one has a specific role. Let’s have a closer look at the different functions of air purifiers and dehumidifiers, what is the difference between them, and how they can help you resolve the humidity issues or clean the indoor air.
Contents
Air purifier vs dehumidifier: how they function?
Air purifier
The level of some pollutants can be up to four times in indoor air than outdoor air. For this reason, the air purifier works as an appliance that cleans and sanitizes the air indoors and does away with impurities, bacteria, allergens, and toxins.
There is a big difference between filter, humidifier, and air purifier. The filter removes particles, and the humidifier adds them, while the air purifier can sanitize all these particles.
Dehumidifier
A dehumidifier works either as cooling air to remove damp and condensation using the same technology as an air conditioner or absorb moisture into a drying material and then eliminate them.
This device is controlled by thermostats and humidity sensors which make the room as hot and dry as you deserve.
Difference between an air purifier and a dehumidifier
Before discussing the difference between an air purifier and a dehumidifier, let’s discuss humidity and the quality of air dangers.
Humidity is not just outside, it could be in your home on your walls, and you may think the air is dry, but the enormous amount of humidity around you can hurt not only your health but also your devices (cameras, computers.).
Here comes the role of a dehumidifier that takes the moisture out of the air and makes the room dry and hot.
The quality of air is an issue that is ignored by the majority of people, and it has repercussions on health that could lead to death. For this reason, people should take care of the quality air indoors, and they can use safely and effectively an air purifier that cleans the air from impurities and bacteria.
In short, a dehumidifier draws moisture out of the air while air purifiers kill harmful pollutants in the air. And this is the difference between these two devices.
Benefits and cons of an air purifier
Benefits
- The air purifier is a functional device that helps to improve the quality of indoor air and, subsequently, the quality of life.
- Removes all impurities and particles that cause allergiesKills 99% of dust particles
- Eliminate triggers for Asthma Attacks
- Extract airborne absorb particles.
Cons
Possible disadvantages:
- It could be not as effective as expected
- Needs frequent maintenance
Benefits and cons of a dehumidifier
Benefits
- Helps with allergies
- Increases comfortable and healthier environment
- Help to control asthma
Cons
- Increase energy bill
- Requires regular maintenance
- Noisy
When to choose an air Purifier or a dehumidifier
You have to use an air purifier when:
- You have or want to avoid health issues like respiratory troubles, asthma, allergies
- You want to remove odors caused by smoke, pets, mold
- You need a clean and healthy air
You have to use a dehumidifier when:
- The room or basement feels damp
- You need to improve your health issues
- Small black spots on the walls
Types of air purifiers vs. dehumidifiers:
Circumstances, space, temperature, energy consumption are not the same in all houses, that’s why every type of air purifier or dehumidifier satisfies some special and different needs.
Types of air purifier
Filter air purifier: it uses a HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) technology that traps at least 99.90% of all dust particles. The HEPA technology can kill invisible particles that are larger than 0.3-micron diameter.
Ozone generators: it functions such an ionizing and changes the oxygen molecules in the air into ozone.
Absorbent: it uses a material that absorbs and removes odors and chemicals in the air.
UV technology: it doesn’t give useful results to particulate filter systems in removing airborne particles. However, it is an effective method to trap bacteria, and viruses, and all kinds of germs.
Types of dehumidifiers
The main types of dehumidifiers that you will find on the market are the warm mist and cool mist. However, you can find other types that include:
Mechanical or Refrigerant Dehumidifier: it’s the most famous type, and works like the refrigerator at home. This type draws the moist air over a refrigerated coil with a small fan.
The refrigerant dehumidifier is perfect and useful at room temperature, and its performances decline in lower-temperatures. That doesn’t mean that it cannot function effectively in lower-temperatures, but it may require more performing components and features to achieve this, and that will make it very expensive.
Absorption /Desiccant Dehumidifier: works with Desiccant that absorbs the water. A desiccant is a humidity absorbing material that functions well in low-temperature.
This type of dehumidifier operates effectively in lower-temperatures like garages, and it needs no additional components to do such work. However, desiccant dehumidifiers consume too much power by default (600-800 watt per hour).
House ventilation dehumidifier: if you need a dehumidifier for your basement or the whole house, then you’re in front of the right pick. This type is the most effective one to remove mold and damp from your home, and it’s very cheap.
Wrap up
If you can’t control the quality of outdoor air, with an air purifier and dehumidifier, you can control the quality of indoor air you breathe every single day.
Each device serves a different purpose, but both of them are necessary to improve the quality of air.
